Escape
by kaill
Summary: DISCONTINUED STORY While on a mission to stop a human trafficking circuit, Lucas Scott recognizes one of the girls. It's his boss' daughter, Brooke Davis. The darkness surrounds everything: the truth and the lies. This is a darker Brucas story and contains mature topics.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **This story is rated M because it discusses the dark theme of human trafficking. If this topic disturbs you, then please do not read this story. I fully understand that people will not be comfortable reading about this. It will not be described in full but, it is a reoccurring event in this fanfic. I do not intend to offend anyone under any circumstances. -kaill

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><p><em>Escape<em>

The business involved him to be strong and always on his toes. Nothing was allowed to distract him when he was on a mission. The only thing running through his body was adrenaline. Rescues were his top priority and the second was to make sure the same unlawful and sick act didn't happen by the same person twice. Lucas Scott thought that he has seen all the worst acts of humankind. He's dealt with drug dealers, murderers, rapists, kidnappers, and the mentally disturbed.

The motives were sometimes similar: control. People get a high from knowing that they can have power over another living form. It all can lead back throughout history, when dictators blamed and killed others in horrific ways. People were gassed, mutilated, and dehumanized. Taking those people down gave the world a sense of pride and accomplishment. It wiped away their fear. In reality, the fight was far from over. There are still individuals out there committing these sickening crimes. If history taught people anything, it's that the feeling of being victorious only lasted until the next villain arised.

There is a silver lining but, it's barely visible. With all the bad that swirls around, there are still the good ones. Heroism tends to fall right onto their shoulders. Children are taught to be good and if they believe, then they can do anything that they dream of. What happened along the way to the children who turn into these rapists, murderers, or sex offenders?

Humans have complexed minds and people, such as Lucas Scott, are trained to look past the formation. The task is to save the innocent and victimized prey that they have let themselves feel happy in harming.

This time his task is a big one and he only hopes that he is prepared to handle every aspect of what he agreed to get himself into. All the images that he was going to have to see could make him vomit. If he blows his cover, then he could bring on more danger than there was in the beginning.

Lucas Scott's mission was to stop a circuit in the growing ring of human trafficking. When Lucas was assigned by his boss to travel to a small town near Charleston, he could believe that it existed right in his own country. The place he called home was a carrier in the world of selling children and teenagers into sex slavery. He found himself getting angry with his own people.

They couldn't be labeled that way anymore. They had to be grouped different. Now, Lucas saw the situation as, people who live and try their best to survive and the people who are tainted in the same society.

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><p>Driving down the road, Lucas Scott rubbed at his tried eyes. He planned to make a non-stop trip to Charleston, South Carolina. It was a stupid idea but, he didn't want to waste anymore time trying to sleep knowing what was happening. Nothing about his job ever sat right with him. He wasn't one of the people who could possibly love his job. It wasn't something that he even liked to talk to other people about.<p>

He wasn't alone in this one. Looking beside him, he watched as his younger brother slept in the passenger's seat. Lucas didn't know how Nathan was able to sleep so soundlessly.

Nathan had been in the business a year less than Lucas had. The older brother didn't understand why Nathan wanted to work in this profession. Nathan's life was good and pure. He had fiancé and his own house. The only stress he ever needed to feel was about his wedding, how to be a good husband and, someday, an amazing father. This wasn't what men like Nathan should be doing. How could Nathan leave the girl that he loves behind and see the destruction of young girls and boys being forced to perform illegal and sexual acts? Lucas knew from experience that when Nathan returned home, he wasn't going to be the same person.

Lucas focused his attention back on the road. He needed to find a gas station after driving non-stop for the past few hours. His fingers tapped against the steering wheel and he knew that when he came closer to Charleston, his knuckles would turn white from gripping the wheel.

He let out sigh when he finally saw a place where he could turn. When he pulled next to the pump, how eyes couldn't help but wandered around the area. Any of these people could be involved in the circuit.

A few seconds later Lucas heard the groan from his awaking brother. Nathan sat up straighter in the seat to stretch. Then he looked around, too. "Are we there?" His voice was thick from sleep.

"Almost." Lucas told him as he scratched the side of his neck.

Nathan nodded and looked out his window again. "I should probably call Haley." He let out a sigh. "I can't believe that I got assigned to the same case as you. I didn't think Mr. Davis would ever let us work together."

"Yeah,"

Nathan turned to Lucas. "Do you want me to drive the rest of the way? It's not a good idea if you drive and fall asleep at the wheel."

Lucas waved him off. "I'll be fine. Go and call Haley while I fill up the car."

Before he let Nathan step out, he placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Nathan turned to him and rolled his eyes. "I know not to tell Haley anything about what we're doing in Charleston. She thinks we're on some brotherly road trip."

"Good. I'm sorry that you have to lie to her." Lucas apologized.

"Me, too. It's all just part of the job, though." Nathan agreed, gripping his cellphone in his hand. Without a second glance, he hopped out of the car and went to call his clueless fiancé.

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><p>The hotel was only a few miles down from the gas station. Lucas and Nathan we're now in the room looking up information on the reports of some of the missing teenage girls that were recently posted. During the drive, Lucas turned on the local radio hoping he would hear anything about any of them.<p>

Nathan peered over his shoulder and shook his head. "What's the next step?"

"What we need to do now is find out if any of these sex slaves match any of the recent missing persons in the area." Lucas explained to Nathan as he scanned through the pictures of all the possible victims on the hotel computer. He shook his head in frustration while he looked at the beautiful young girls who have been reported missing. He just hoped that he was able to get to them in time.

Nathan nodded. "How are we going to do that?"

The answer made Lucas almost sick to his stomach. "We have to go undercover." He paused, giving Nathan a serious look. "We have to pretend that we're clients and we want one of the girls."

Nathan's face grew with concern as he registered what Lucas had told him. How could he pretend to be one those fucking scumbags who buy other people for sex? In this case, he would have to pretend to be interested in rape.

Lucas stood up from his chair and put his hands on his brother's shoulders. "Nathan, you have to take this seriously. You can't let your anger towards any of them get the best of you."

Nathan searched Lucas' eyes. The reflecting blue irises held nothing in their gaze. Nathan knew how serious this was and he wouldn't have agreed to do this if he wasn't ready to. Nathan wasn't going to let his older brother or his career down no matter what disturbing things he would find along the way.

Lucas dropped his hands from Nathan. "I already went ahead and got fake IDs." Lucas explained as he walked over to his duffle bag. He began digging around inside of it to search for them.

"Why?"

"Because, if these people are smart enough to keep their circuit out of the public's eye, then they'll card us before letting us know anything. You've got to think like the criminal sometimes, Nate. It's the only way we can be a step ahead of them." He found them and passed Nathan his. "For our time here, you are Garrett Duncan and I'm Joshua Parker."

Nathan studied the ID. It looked pretty reasonable. "Are you sure they'll fall for this?"

"If they want any business from us, then I hope so." He zipped up his back after replacing his real ID with the new one. "I'm going to make a call and tell Mr. Davis that we're here and then I'm going to find out where we can find these fucking bastards. Print out those photos of the girls."

Lucas stepped into the hallway and checked to see if anybody was around. Pulling out his cellphone he dialed his boss. "I just wanted to let you know that we arrived in Charleston."

_A sigh was heard from the other end. "Okay. Don't screw this up. We've been on their trace for a few months now. You have to be extremely careful when dealing with these people."_

"I know. Nathan and I are going to head out soon and check out some of the girls they have. I already know that they won't have all of them but-"

_"You need to pace yourself and take some time to think things through. They'll catch on if you just brag in there and start demanding girls." His boss warned._

"I can handle it." Lucas ended the call with his boss after receiving the number that he needed. he held up the phone to his ear and waited to hear the voice of one of the individuals he already hated.

_"Hello?" The voice was of a female._

Lucas cleared his throat. "This is Joshua. I wanted to know if you had any girls that are willing to pay me and my coworker a visit. We're on a business trip and we could use some fun." Playing the part was already disgusting to Lucas. He didn't know how others could say these things with such ease.

_"How did you get this number, Joshua, was it?" She asked._

"A friend of mine gave it to me and told me that you have girls willing to do anything a man wants. We're going to be in town for awhile and probably stuck in our hotel room." Lucas waited for her to respond. His nerves grew a bit because he thought maybe she could see right through his bullshit lies.

_"What hotel are you at? We can send a few of them over to you."_

"I was actually hoping to come visit you and see some of the girls. I can be quite shallow when it comes to looks. Is there anyway my coworker and I can come to you?"

_The voice remained silent but, Lucas could hear the hitched breathing from the other line. "We rarely allowed anyone on the property and you can probably guess why but, if you insist on our services, you'll have to bring a payment. It's not going to be easy to get the kind of money we're looking for."_

"I can promise you that my friend and I are quite wealthy. We can be there in an hour." Lucas swallowed.

_"We'll gather up our best girls for you." The voice almost sounded wicked as it told Lucas the exact address and then it quickly cut off the call._

Closing his phone, Lucas closed his eyes. They opened again when they heard the hotel door close behind him. Lucas looked to his brother. "We got a deal."

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><p>"I can't believe this. Are you sure this is the right place?" Nathan asked in shock as he looked around what appeared to be a normal neighborhood.<p>

"It's the address the woman told me on the phone. Do you have the story straight?" Lucas told him as he parked his car beside the house.

Nathan nodded. "Let's just get this over with." He said coldly as he got out of the car.

"Don't act like this." Lucas warned Nathan as he caught up with him.

"I'm sorry. I just can't believe that we're actually here right now doing this."

"I know. I feel the same way but, we have to do this. Now, act like you're interested in what these girls can provide for a client."

"You make it sound so easy." Nathan tried to hide his shudder.

Lucas was about to tell him that it was one of the most difficult things he had yet to do but, both brothers stopped when a man met with them in front of the house.

"Who are you two?" He accused.

Lucas stopped Nathan from walking forward. "I can handle this, Garrett." Lucas took a few steps towards the man. "I'm Joshua and I talked to a woman on the phone earlier. She gave me this address. We're here on business." As much as he didn't want to, Lucas offered the man his hand.

"You're the man who called from the hotel?" He asked.

Lucas nodded and forced a smile while he shook hands with him. "Where do we get to meet these girls?"

"Hold on," he withdrew his hand and let out a delightful chuckle. "If you would two come and follow me, I can show you the girls."

Lucas turned to look back to Nathan and sent him a look to remind him they were on business and it wasn't allowed to get personal. "Lead the way. We can't wait to meet them."

The two followed the older man to the back of the house and entered through the back door. In the kitchen Lucas saw a woman and guessed it was the one he was on the phone with earlier.

The man opened a door that revealed stairs and motioned for them to go first.

Nathan sent Lucas an unknowing look and felt that they could be the ones who in danger. Lucas ignored him and walked down the steps. Nathan had no choice but to follow.

Once at the bottom, Lucas looked around. He noticed a few chairs that sat in front of a poorly built wooden stage. There were sheets used as curtains. The basement was sectioned off by sheets as well. The place smelled musty.

"Have a seat up front." The man appeared from behind them. He stepped aside and motioned over to the chairs. Nathan was the first to obey his orders and when Lucas went to follow his brother, the man pushed him back with his hand. "Do you have the money that we asked for?"

Lucas nodded and pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket. Then he placed it in the filthy palm of the man's hand.

Satisfied, the man stepped aside. He walked behind on of the sheets and didn't return.

Lucas sat beside Nathan. "This place looks awful. I think we have our circuit leaders." He whispered.

"I just want to leave and call Haley." Nathan told him behind his teeth.

"Don't do this to yourself." His voice murmured.

Lucas heard footsteps and a muffled voice. The man who greeted them came back and took a feet next to Nathan.

"Sit back and enjoy the show, my friends." He shouted something in a different language and a different man came out from behind the curtain, walking on stage leading a found blonde.

Her hands were tied behind her back and a ripped piece of cloth was used to gag her mouth. Her skin was dirty and her ribcage could be seen through her skin. The young girl was stripped of wearing clothes and she stood clad in a white bra and underwear.

The man's hands titled her head back to rest on his shoulder to move the hair from her face. "Why don't you give them a little dance, sweetheart?" He placed a kiss on her cheek and stepped away from her.

The blonde stood still nervous and afraid.

"She's a little shy this morning." He announced before slapping her on the ass that caused her jumped and closed her eyes.

The leader rose his hand to stop him from trying to make her do anything further. "Why don't you take her back and grab the next one? She's a little more feisty."

He nodded and forcefully pushed the young blonde forward. They both disappeared behind the curtain.

The next girl that came out made Lucas' eyes bulge. The blue bra and matching panties made her skin look a tone lighter than pale. Her hair almost covered her entire face and from what Lucas could see, she looked terrified of these people. Looking closer, he tried to remember where he recognized her from. Then it hit him like a punch to the gut. In his clouded mind he could see a picture frame sitting on a desk. The young girl was smiling in the photo. He had seen the picture many times and he couldn't help but smile back when he looked at it.

_"She has your eyes, sir." Lucas commented aloud. He placed the picture down on the desk when he heard the door close behind him. Then he turned to greet his boss. _

Brooke Davis.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **This story is rated M because it discusses the dark theme of human trafficking. If this topic disturbs you, then please do not read this story. I fully understand that people will not be comfortable reading about this. It will not be described in full but, it is a reoccurring event in this fanfic. I do not intend to offend anyone under any circumstances. -kaill

**AN: **Thank you to OTH12, forever-alwaysB-Davis, Mars, AllAboutBrucas, sunshine, craxygirl54, babyblues02, paigematthewsfan21, ReadingRed, ilovecujo1993, CaseyJr, smallvillegirl004, and curlylizard97 for reviewing the first chapter. I would also like to thank those of you who favorites and subscribed for updates. I'm sorry it has taken so long to update this story. I just want to make sure I don't make this story offensive or too out there.

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><p><em>Brooke Davis.<em>

At this point, Lucas couldn't even focus on the brunette girl who was brought on the stage. There were so many questions running through his mind then and he thought he was going to be sick with the images of whatever might have been done to her already. How could this have happened to her without anyone knowing and how could Mr. Davis be so calm and act like nothing so tragic was happening in his life? It just didn't make sense. Lucas knew that he had to call his boss to tell them that these sick people had his daughter.

He had to bury his rage or else he could blow his cover. He turned to the man who sat next to him, the one who held Miss Davis captive. "That will be all. I would just like to discuss this over with my coworker." Lucas explained, hoping that he would get up and leave them in private.

"Certainly," he nodded. With wicked eyes, he made eye contact with the other man who was having his own fun showing off the girls. He then stood up and walked behind one of the sheets.

After Lucas made sure that both men were gone, he turned to Nathan. He could see that Nathan hated this just as much as he did. Like he had told his brother many times before, there was no turning back from this. "Did you notice anything about the last girl they showed us?"

Nathan's head turned to him. All he could do was stiffly shake his head. He tried so hard not to stare into the eyes of the scared girls, especially the blonde because it reminded him of Haley. All he wanted to do was call her to make sure she was safe, even though he already knew that she was.

"That's the boss' daughter." His voice wanted to growl angrily but he had to keep his emotions from boiling to extreme levels. "We have to get her out of here, Nate."

This time Nathan turned quickly to Lucas and he didn't care how calm he was supposed to be. "Are you serious? I'm pretty sure the boss would have told us something months before if his daughter ever went missing. The entire town would have put posters up and her face would have been plastered everywhere." His voice quickened.

Lucas covered Nathan's mouth roughly to quiet him. There were times already that Lucas wished that he had done this alone. "Now, when I remove my hand from your mouth, you're going to regain your composure. You got that?"

He nodded, trying to pry his brother's grip. When Lucas took his hands off of him, Nathan asked him, "What's your master plan? What's the next step?"

"We offer to make a purchase. They'll tell us their rules and what she's capable of. If she's underage, someone will escort her to our room and stay in there with us. They don't want us to try anything and they just don't trust anybody." Lucas changed his tone to a stern yet, soft, whisper.

"But, we gave them our word." Nathan reminded him.

It was Lucas' turn to shake his head. "That doesn't matter. Now, if she's 18 or older they'll let her come into our room alone. She won't be out of the woods, though. My guess is someone will be around driving the perimeter until she has to return to them."

"How are we supposed to save her or any of the girls?" Nathan asked in disbelief. He thought Lucas had everything figured out. Sure, he had all these answers but right now it felt hopeless to him that anything good was going to come from this.

Lucas didn't really know. The only feeling he focused on was the one that pooled in his stomach. He had to get Brooke out of there and bring this filthy dehumanizing place to an end. He pushed his hand through his hair and his body jerked when he sensed that he and his brother were no longer alone.

"Have you made your decision regarding my girls?" He asked as he came back calmly. This time he sat down next to Lucas.

_His_ girls. They were his property and he sounded so cheerful about it. Lucas couldn't believe that how real clients had such little regard for the girls here. Then again, Lucas had dealt with perverts before and knew that they weren't always thinking in their clearest mindset. He wasn't sticking up for them because of that simple fact. That was the last thing he would ever do. Pretending to be one was the last thing that he wanted to do. His skin crawled with guilt that the girls looked at him with those sorrow and horrified eyes. Those pair of hazel eyes tore at his heart as he wondered if Brooke had recognized him.

He met her before and it was very brief. Brooke had stopped by the her father's office to ask him for his credit card. She needed to buy clothes for something. Lucas hadn't paid too much attention because he didn't want her or his boss to think that she caught his attention and interest. Mr. Davis wasn't too thrilled that his daughter disrupted their meeting. When she left, she smiled at Lucas. He remembered her dimpled cheeks and how her hazel eyes seemed to hold a fired spunk. Looking at her now, both of those traits were gone.

"Um, yes. We both really like the brunette." Lucas told him as he nodded with interest and hope that the man would agree to let them have her for a night or possibly longer. At this point, he wanted to buy her off of this man for good and return her home. There was too much to risk if he tried anything without thinking it over thoroughly.

"Ah, yes. Number 631." He told them as stretched in his seat.

_Her name is Brooke Davis. All of these girls have real names, you sick bastard. _They were numbered like they were prisoners and at this point they pretty much were.

"I think you'll like what she can do for both of you. You wouldn't be the first three-some that we've had her perform. Her price is rather high but with the cash you already paid, I'm sure you can afford her for the night." He explained to them. The man leaned forward to catch a look at Nathan.

Lucas fought off his feeling of tension. Was Nathan that terrible at being undercover? It was a part of their job and he shouldn't be acting so guilty and, in this case, uninvolved.

"What's with you? You don't seem to talk much." The man told him.

"I'm sorry. I was just picturing her and hoping that she doesn't disappoint my fantasy." Nathan told him.

"I can promise you that she won't. Our girls know what to give to a client. Now, let's get back to our business arrangement. For this particular girl I want at least another grand. Plus it is for the both of you, right? You don't want any of the other girls?" He asked them.

Both Scotts shook their heads at the same time.

Lucas thought the asking price for her was going to be higher. He wasn't going to ask this man any questions regarding his business. It could easily stir up suspicion.

"You can go back upstairs and talk to my wife. She'll set everything up and give you more information about expectations." He stood up and offered his hand to them to shake.

Neither of them wanted to touch this guy's hand. Shaking it mean that they trusted this man and accepted him for who he was and what he was offering to them, to the world.

Nathan shook his hand first, indicating that he was still on top of things. he couldn't wait to get back to his hotel room and scrub his hand. Then he wouldn't mind scrubbing his eyes. It didn't mean much to him if the soap burned his eyes. he's do anything to erase the visions he was experiencing.

Lucas put on a flat facial expression as he brought his hand forward. He kept his eye contact, even though he had studied the hand while Nathan was ending the deal. It disgusted him that he was doing this. It was the only way for him to get Brooke and the others out of here. He didn't know how many there were but he had to find out.

The man dropped his hand and motioned for them to follow him back up the stairs. They were steps closer to getting out of this nightmare of a house. It was shame that none of the girls got to do that freely. There only chance of getting out was if they were purchased for a night and they still weren't free.

When they reached the kitchen again the man asked them to wait as he walked over to talk to the woman. Lucas tried to focus his hearing on them but their voices were too hushed. after a minute, he walked away from her and went back outside.

"Gentlemen, please have a seat." She motioned her hand over to the kitchen table.

It was definitely her voice from the phone call. He could hint at the way her voice carried on like she had a calm yet, powerful demeanor. She didn't think this was wrong and she knew how it was going right under people's noses.

Lucas and Nathan sat down. Lucas folded his hands on the table and leaned hs posture forward to let her know that meant business.

She sat down across from them. Her black hair had some grey ones mixed in and her skin could almost resemble leather. Lucas guessed that she was either a drinker or a smoker, possibly both. Just as she should be, she looked stressed. She opened up a folder that was already on the table. The tab read: 631.

The woman cleared her scratchy throat, "631 will be arriving with an escort to your hotel room around 8:45 tonight. When you open the door, it is important that you act like nothing is going on. She is of legal age to do anything that you want her to do. If it's something extra, she will take the payment from you beforehand and pass it off to her escort. He will leave as soon as you close the door so it doesn't look like he's loafing. You will only have her for an hour."

She would be in there with them alone. That was actually a good thing. The bad end was that they barely had any time to try and talk to her, if she was even going to trust them. Lucas knew he had to get a good look at her escort to fill out a report. He would leave that part to Nathan because Lucas wanted to make sure this guy was as afraid of him as Brooke and the rest of the girls were. It was all risky but he was ready to fight one of the purest forms of evil.

"Are there any questions that you have before you leave?"

Lucas shook his head. He saw everything that he needed and he couldn't wait to get the next team involved after his investigation. He just hoped that his emotions would get the best of either of them and ruin any chance of getting this shut down and the girls out alive.

The woman looked at the two men that sat across from her. "You are not allowed to go giving out our information to anyone. We find our clients. I understand that one of your friends gave you our contact information but, we have to draw the line somewhere because there are people out there who would easily like to take us to prison if they ever found out about this underground trade, you got that?" Her voice turned into that wicked tone that she gave Lucas over the phone.

Did she suspect something? Lucas kept his cool as he spoke to her, even though his words stabbed at his tongue as he said them greedily. "We would never want to do that. If we like what this little 631 slut does for us, we might just stop by for an unofficial business trip."

She closed the folder. "I assure you that all our girls have been given some good reviews from other clients."

Other clients, that meant that other people have touched her. She had already been exploited to sex with men, some that were probably much much older than her. _Those fucking sick bastards_. How could anyone be okay with this?

"We look forward to seeing her."

* * *

><p>Lucas paced back and forth in the room. The cell phone could slip out of his hand from the sweat that was forming in his palm. How was he going to tell his boss that he just bought his daughter? He just bought another innocent human being to perform sexual acts on him, one that didn't even want this. He shuddered.<p>

During the ride home, his mind was still wildly reeling from what he and Nathan witnessed inside that basement. It was musky and damp. The sheets had a distinct odor of bleach. He had no idea how many girls were hidden behind them or what conditions they were in. From the looks of the girls that were shown for them, Lucas could tell that they were malnourished and abused.

He stopped in his spot when he heard Nathan opening the door. He had gone to call Haley. Lucas reminded him a few times not to tell Haley about anything that happened and to just to let her know that he was safe. It would break a huge rule of professionalism if he discussed his work with anyone who was not working on the case.

"Don't worry. I didn't tell her." Nathan said, reading the look that was on Lucas' face.

Lucas nodded. "Good. How's she holding up with you gone?" He knew that Nathan and Haley barely spent anytime apart since they've met.

"Well, since she thinks we're on a road trip she's perfectly fine, the happy Haley we all know." Nathan explained as he walked over to his bed and sat on the edge. He didn't know how he was going to face her when he returned home. Lying was the last thing that he wanted to do with Haley. It would break her. It would break them. "Did you call Mr. Davis yet?" He asked, looking back to Lucas.

"Not yet. I keep going back and forth between calling him now and calling him later. At least, if I called him later we might have Brooke safe by then."

Nathan nodded in agreement. Then he ran his hands over his face. "I just can't believe it. Was that really her in there?"

"Yeah, it was." There was still a part of Lucas that couldn't believe it. Why hadn't he been aware of this before?

"The boss never mentioned her during any meetings about our assignment? That just doesn't make any sense to me. His daughter has been missing and the man didn't even flinch? What a bastard move." Nathan told Lucas.

"I don't understand it either." He ran his hand through his hair and then put his phone in his pocket. He wasn't going to call his boss until he knew that he was sure of everything that was going togo down.

"I'm going to start typing up the criminal report. Are you sure we have enough evidence for charges?" Nathan asked him.

"How can you fucking ask me that? You were down there. You saw everything I saw." His voice came out cold but he kept it down so nobody else could hear him.

"Sorry, Luke. I'm just making sure because I don't think I could ever go back there."

"Then you shouldn't have taken this job. Maybe you should have went to college for something less mature." he stopped to catch his breath. "I'm sorry. I'm just a bit on edge."

Nathan nodded. He understood where Lucas was coming from completely. Depending on how this mission was going to go, Nathan would gladly retire and try to build his life differently. He walked over to the desk and sat in front of the computer. His fingers hit the keys, hoping he would hit all the right ones because re-reading this was like he was going back there.

* * *

><p>His heart was racing as the time on the clock changed with every passing minute. It wasn't going to be long until Brooke was going to be at the hotel room doorway. He wondered what was going on in her mind through everything's she's been through. What have they done to her and who was she now because of it? It was even a scary thought for him. Would she expect something from him?<p>

He looked over to Nathan, who held a stone cold expression. He could tell that his younger brother was beyond nervous and freaked out about doing this. Lucas didn't offer him any sense of comfort because he wanted to give it all to Brooke.

"I feel like I could fucking puke right now." Nathan said, staring at the wall across from the foot of his bed.

He did, too. Lucas could taste the bitter acid that would creep up and burn his esophagus. To make it go away he would hit his fist against his chest. Every so often it would jut come back and irritate him again.

"I told you an hour ago that it was going to get tougher. Just keep both plans we made in your mind. Make them your top priority." Lucas told him as he watched the door. He knew that as soon as a knock was placed, that his adrenaline would build up and his body would flinch.

After Nathan was set on the report, Lucas had thought of a few plans that they could use. The main one was making sure Brooke knew that they weren't going to hurt her and they were actually people she could trust. He didn't know if she was going to arrive drugged or not, he was guessing because the couple wanted satisfied customers that they would drug her up to last the entire hour or more. If they got Brooke to understand what they were here to do, they had to make sure that they could trust her in return. She wasn't allowed to tell the other girls that help was finally going to be on the way for the. For now, it was only a possibility because they didn't know what they were truly getting into. That's why they needed Brooke.

The backup plan involved her escort. When the hour was over Lucas wanted to talk Brooke back to where her escort would be waiting. He would act like he was getting attached to her ad wanted her to keep visiting him in the hotel. Luckily, he had enough money to afford it. he would act as the perfect client when really he was using her to get dirt on the place.

There was always the backfire that Lucas or Nathan would forget everything they were building up for and just rationalize everything to get her away from these people. It could very well cost them their jobs. When the time came, they would know what to do based on how Brooke was willing to trust and cooperate. Hopefully, all the dirty powerful men in her life didn't take her strength away from her completely.

A soft knock hit the door and it was followed by another louder one. Nathan's eyes went straight to Lucas' matching ones. Nathan remained still, wiping his sweaty palms on his black dress pants. Lucas took a deep breath and made the short trip over to the door. It would only be seconds until the night was going to go into motion. He just hoped that his control would remain professional.

With a firm hand clenched to the handle, Lucas turned it and heard the click in the silence. The lock was released and the door could move freely. He was going to see her again and he prepared himself for whatever he was about to see.

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><p><strong>AN 2: <strong>Now that my semester is nearly over, I should have more time to update my stories. As always, your feedback is appreciated! -kaill


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **This story is rated M because it discusses the dark theme of human trafficking. If this topic disturbs you, then please do not read this story. I fully understand that people will not be comfortable reading about this. It will not be described in full but, it is a reoccurring event in this fanfic. I do not intend to offend anyone under any circumstances. -kaill

**AN: **Thank you to paigematthewsfan21, Leeese, CaseyJr, rainbowbright108, craxygirl54, dianehermans, AllAboutBrucas, babyblues02, BpDs89, smallevillegirl004, dreamkent, and xXalientatedXx for reviewing the first chapter. I would also like to thank those of you who add this to your favorites and subscribed for updates.

If you read _Wake Me Up__, _then you're already aware that I posted a poll on my profile of what story you are interested in reading from me next. I will send summaries if you would like me to through PM. I forgot to mention for _Monster, _that if you want that story next, I would have to finish this story first. There is a possibility that my other story may be finished before this one. -kaill

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><p>Whoever dressed her didn't do her once curved and clean body justice. A short red cocktail dress, a size too small and teared, squeezed every inch that it actually could cover up. Threaded through her arms was a black scarf, which hid the bruises and other marks that he had noticed on her arms before. She stood with her hands folded in front of her like she was posing to be a stone statue. Her eyes seemed to be focusing on his knees, so he couldn't read whatever disturbing stories they held. The sleek brunette hair was now a mess of knots. She definitely wasn't the girl that Lucas had first seen. The only thing that seemed human about her was the fact that they kept her face natural. There wasn't a hint of makeup on her face. Lucas' eyes slowly traveled up her arms, near her shoulders. They were swollen and he knew that they were repeatedly injected with some kind of drug. He felt his blood pressure rise and the imagine of a needle going into her creamy skin and piercing it, filling her blood with its toxic substance.<p>

Lucas didn't welcome her and moved to the side to let her enter. As he did, he caught a glimpse of her escort, who was leaned against the wall besides the door. He had a grungy look with his black stubble and musy odored clothes, just like the basement had. His pupils were small and beady. His short black curly hair was covered with what looked like sawdust. The escort gives him a look, too, and lets out an almost inaudible grunt.

With a swallow, Lucas closed the door behind him. When the door clicked closed Lucas waited for the sneaky footsteps to echo in the hallway until there was nothing but a heavy and an on-edge silence. He didn't have much time to waste and now he didn't even know if either plans will work because of how Brooke was going to react to them and to her newest, yet daily, injection of drugs.

He turned to see Nathan still standing in his same spot and Brooke standing beside him, waiting to be instructed. The moment was here and not even all his though out scenarios could prepare him from actually being a few feet away from her in a hotel room.

She let the her scarf fall to the floor limply as she reached up to loosen Nathan's tie. Her arms were shaky and slow, not wanting t make contact with him.

He couldn't believe how Nathan was just standing there cold, letting her start the brutal process, when he should be stopping her and hopefully getting the answers they needed in order to save them, to save her.

"Hey," his voice comes out soft and calm, even though he wanted to shout to bring Nathan back to reality. The only reasons why he didn't was because he didn't want to startle her and he wanted her to know that they could be trusted.

"You don't need to do any of this. My name is Lucas Scott and this is my brother, Nathan. We're here to help you." Waiting for some kind of response, Lucas kept his distant. He let out that heavy feeling in his chest when she took her hands away from his brother. She turn her head to look straight at him. Her eyes still not focusing directly on his. In that instant, he felt himself stuck in a trance and he wasn't even in her gaze. She was in his and it seemed like she wasn't sure whether or not to believe a word he was saying.

Why would she? How could any part of her want to ever trust a man again? He wondered when the last time this poor broken girl had ever truly expressed an emotion. How long has she lived in her own silence?

It was by then that Nathan cleared his throat and stepped up like the man he should have been just a few minutes ago. He reached into the pockets of his dress pants and puled out the leather case that held his government certified badge. The gold still shimmered against the dim and dingy lights of the room. "He's telling you the truth. You can trust us that nothing is going to happen tonight. All we want to do is talk to you." When he was finished, he sent Lucas a nod to let him know that he was going to be there for him and for her.

Lucas returned the gesture. She still hadn't said a word or done anything really. Maybe she was stunned? He had to ease her tension, make her feel like she was aloowed to open her mouth and speak without punishment.

"I think the escort is almost to the lot by now. Why don't you take the elevator down and check out what kind of car he's driving and write down his plates? I'm sure the police would want that in their reports to track his ass down and arrest him." Lucas told him with his eyes still on Brooke.

"Yeah," was all Nathan could manage to say as he quickly left the room. He hoped that he wouldn't cause any suspicion with his board-like composure and he wanted nothing more than to get al the information needed to bring an end to whatever this was.

Once Nathan had gone, Lucas finally took his first steps closer to her. To hid her smell from the lack of hygiene, Lucas' senses filled with a strong perfume that made him want to hold his breath.

"You can sit on my bed, if you'd like." He cocked his head to the side to motion to which one was his. Maybe with Nathan gone, Brooke would feel more comfortable and start talking to him.

He watched as she tried to walk. Her legs seemed like they held no muscle or even bone. The drug must have been taking it's toll on her body's systems. Long lashes fluttered against her cheekbones as the young girl let her dosed state take full advantage of her, just like her clients did. There wasn't going to be a word falling from her dry lips now.

Her body began to sway and her feet remained planted to the floor. Her eyes drifted upwards to the ceiling and the black pupils were almost the size of seeds, which made her amber glowing irises take them over.

There were no thoughts as he reacted by catching her in his arms. Brooke didn't fall, it was more like she slumped over. Lucas felt like he was holding a helpless newborn in his arms by the way he remained still. If he moved, he thought that he'd drop her and hurt her.

Placing her on his bed, he pulled back the covers to warm her up. Her breathing was now at a slower pace, indicating that she still had consciousness and her awareness was completely tarnished. He didn't know when the dosage was going to wear off. None of the time was spent on getting the information that was need. Tonight was all about Brooke and getting her comfortable, something she probably hasn't felt in a long time. From practicing criminal interrogations, Lucas learned how to get answers out of people. He didn't want to force anything about her.

Force. He let out a dark chuckle. Brooke Davis knew about that all too well. She had no choice but to succumb to it. They were lied to when the man told them that Brooke could satisfy them in any way she could. Hell, they were promised extra if they wanted some more. No, all the men had free reign over her. Just watching her now, Lucas felt like Nathan. He wanted to vomit.

Then that feeling of acid burning up his insides was replaced. It was something stronger, stronger than any anger he'd ever felt. This was a girl he had seen in her regular life and she was turned into this sex toy rag doll. In that realization, Lucas didn't only want to just save this girl. He wanted to get revenge for her because he knew that she couldn't fight back. All that careful planning he had previously done was practically spat on and tossed aside like a rejection from society.

What was taking Nathan so long? Was it even that song since he had gone out to investigate this eerie criminal? His anxiety was now elevated. He stood up and began pulling his hands through his hair and pacing around the room. His impulsions were now taking over him and he had no reasons to fight against it. As soon as Nathan walked through that door, Lucas was going on his own personal manhunt.

Thoughts raced through his head as he hurried over to his suitcase. After lifting the top, he stared at the cold black metal that could kill a man. He picked it up and let his finger lace through and feel the trigger. As he puts the single bullet inside, he watches Brooke and wonders if she knows what he's doing right now. There may be barely any signs of life in her but did she know what the sound of a loading gun was like? Was she ever threatened with one?

She was murmuring something and her eyes were finally closed. _Fuck, Nate. Hurry it up. _

Lucas was back at her side again. His hand rested on her arm. Even though her skin was cold, touching her felt like his hand had been burned. It remained on her skin and rubbed one of the bruises. It was odd to feel such a smoothness where she was bleeding underneath it. "Please, stay with me, Brooke. I'm going to get you out of this."

His body shook when the door opened again. He quickly shifted all of his attention to Nathan. "Did you get it?"

Nathan nodded and walked over to give him the information. As he reached his brother, he noticed that he had his gun in his hand. "What's with the gun, Lucas? That wasn't a part of any of our plans." His voice filed with worry. What was his brother going to do?

"I'm taking care of it." He told him before moving around Nathan to get to the door. He was stopped when Nathan shoved his hand to his chest and pushed him back. "What do you mean, you're taking care of it? You'll be the one who's fucking crazy if you screw this up!"

Since when was Nathan the logical one with the authority? "I'll be fine. Now, move. Watch her until I come back." He untucked his shirt and slipped the gun into his waistband,

"Where are you going? Lucas, stop and think about this." Nathan told him to try and stop him from making a huge mistake and blowing everything they already had done.

It was Lucas' turn to shove Nathan. There was no time to stop or think about anything. He knew what he had to do, what he wanted to do.

"Fine but, if you do something fucking stupid. Don't you dare ask me to take the fall with you. I can't afford risking everything that I have at home to live my life on the run." His voice was stern and assertive. The kind eyes of his brother were gone.

Lucas didn't say anything as he left the room. This wasn't about him or was never supposed to be.

The whole elevator ride was spent memorizing the car and it's plates. He had to act face because one slip up could end his life or even the life of his brother and the unconscious girl in his bed. He was clouded by this feeling and he didn't know whether or not he would feel better once he dealt with it. He'd been on the job for a few years and he'd never taken the chance to kill someone in cold blood.

Entering the parking lot, Lucas carefully used his peripherals to detect any movement and to glance at the cars parked. So far, he hadn't had any luck in finding the escort. Had he just left her with them? No, he couldn't be that trusting and stupid.

Looking up, Lucas saw a man sitting on a bench, He squinted his eyes as they got used to the darkness. The man looked like he was enjoying a sandwich. What kind of sick person dropped off a girl to be raped and sit his jolly ass down to happily eat? If Lucas was going to do anything about it, this man might as well enjoy his last meal.

It was now or never. His feet began to take him across the street. The town was quite at night to the point where any sort of noise would break it and bring it back to life. His eyes watched the may with every step that he took. He was still too bust biting into his food than to look as his next threat came walking towards him. Even in the dark, Lucas could easily be recognized.

Instead of walking right in front of him or even straight up to him, Lucas walked behind him and even a few steps passed him. He never once turned his head to catch a glance at Lucas. Taking a few steps back, Lucas watched as the escort leaned forward to take another bite of his food. When his mouth moved to chew and swallow, Lucas wrapped his muscular arm around his throat and with the other, held the gun to his head.

The man's limbs began to flail and his fingers dug into to Lucas' arm as he tried to fight his way free. Lucas had to clench his jaw from the pain and the struggle to get the man to give up. He was hoping to catch him in the time so he would choke on his food and pass out.

"Listen you sick fuck, I'm trained to kill people like you so I wouldn't try to make an effort." He twisted his grip, hearing struggled noises coming from the man. "This is for, Brooke Davis." He tightened his squeeze and watched as a deep red took over the man's face. The he felt his fingers loosen out of the death grip on his arm.

The man's body gave out and let go of the crust of his sandwhich. Lucas felt the need to puch him just in case he was tricking him.

He opened up the back doors of the escorts car and slipped the body inside. There was a place Lucas remembered on the drive to Charleston. It was the perfect place to drop the guy off and take care of him. All he had to do was not make a scene about it.

The body could come back any second. Lucas pulled away from the street and started to drive. His foot wanted nothing more that to press down until the gas pedal hit the floor, he couldn't do that, not without being noticed. His eyes peered up to the mirror to see if his victim was making any signs that he was coming out of it.

After passing buildings that turned into streets, Lucas knew that he had made it out of the small town. The roads were straight without a stop sign or curve. He was getting closer to his drop off destination and his very own crime scene.

He pulled over when he recognized the wooded area that almost crept up to the side of the road. He got out and walked around the vehicle. Opening the door, the arms of the escort fell out. Grabbing his wrist with his hands, Lucas pulled the body out of the back seat.

Lucas stood over him, his body still out cold. It was dark and there wasn't a single car on the road. Lucas leaned over to check if the man had any identification that he could give to the police or maybe some soft of sign to indicate what he has been up to. He shoved the wallet into his pocket and then he pulled out the gun.

He pressed the base of it to the man's chest and lifted his lifeless hand. He folded that man's fingers over the the trigger before pressing down. The shot went off and his body convulsed under him. Crimson red blood seeped from the bullet hole where the bronze bullet tore through skin and muscle to lodge itself into his heart and stop it's beating altogether.

Frantic, Lucas dropped the man's hand and the gun. Since his fingerprints were still left on the gun, Lucas knew he couldn't leave it behind. The next thing he had to do was move the body out of sight, just incase any cars actually did drive through the area. He began dragging him to where the land dipped and disappeared from sight, like an illusion. There was marsh and a few small trees where the body would eventually decay and become one with the nature.

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><p>"What did you do?" Nathan's voice came from the dark. The only light in the room came from the glowing television set.<p>

"Drop it, Nathan." Lucas told him with a heavy exhale. "Did anything change when I was gone?" He scratched at his head as he looked around the room and began to gather his things.

"No. I want you to tell me what's going on. You look wild-eyed." Nathan stated, with a hint of concern for his brother's well-being.

Lucas didn't care because he was too busy hurrying to leave. After he packed up all of his things, he helped the drugged up daughter of his boss to her feet. "Nathan help me carry her to the back exit." With Brooke's arm lazily over his should and his arm around her waist, he takes a few steps forward. He looked back to see nathan standing up with his hands across his chest, showing resistance. "Nathan, get your ass moving!"

Nathan shook his head. "I'm not doing this anymore. I thought I could but I just can't. My mind can't handle this. I called Haley to come and pick me up. Don't worry, I won't tell her a thing."

He wasn't joking around with him. How could he leave like this? The moment he was assigned to this he was involved until the end. Their boss wasn't going to let Nathan be done just because his mind couldn't take things like this. His boss. _Shit._

What was he going to do to explain all of this to his boss? If Mr. Davis found out that he went ahead and killed one of the men, he would be beyond furious with him. He did it for his daughter. That had to mean something, right?

He couldn't think about all the jeopardy he had caused as he helped Brooke take steps out of the hotel room.

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><p>Redden blue eyes opened after only an hour of attempting rest. There was no chance that he was going to get any sleep after all that had happened last night. He wondered if they found the escort's body last night and were now on the hunt for his murdering. Lucas felt himself going crazy as he stayed awake going through every event that happened. Did he leave any trace of what he had done on the scene? Then he thought of his brother, who might have been right. He was glad that Nathan decided to leave and go back home. Nathan had no business sticking with him. He wondered if his brother was having insomnia from his own thoughts, too.<p>

He drove for miles after leaving Nathan at the hotel. Every few hours he'd glance over at Brooke. Her head was pressed against his window and his suit jacket was covering her. They were in a motel room now and this wasn't going to be the only different place where they were going to be resting from their trip back home.

In the other bed, Brooke was actually sound asleep. During the night, he had heard whimpers coming from her lips. He wanted nothing more than to wake her up and tell her that it was all a dream but that was a lie. Her night frights were happening every minute she lived.

Her sleeping form actually looked like she was normal. There was some color brought back into her face yet, there was still the grayness from the lack of proper care to her body. He had made sure that her body was safely wrapped in the blanket and that she felt the warmness that it offered her. Maybe that would make her feel somewhat safer with him and hopefully more willing to let him into the secrets of the basement.

His eyes couldn't take in much more of her as her eyes were now open and looking straight back at him. She let out a gasp and sat up quickly. Her hands went to her head, holding onto it to relinquish the pain.

"Where am I and who are you?" Her tone was frantic as she wrapped the comforter around her body.

"We're in a motel room, heading back home. I'm here to take you home and away from all of this. You can trust me when I tell you that I'm not going to hurt you. All I need you to do for me is answer some questions. Is that okay?"

"I don't know." She mumbled, looking down.

"I'm here to help you." He repeated, hoping that he had made that clear to her.

Brooke shook her head. "I don't know if I want to believe you." She scrunched up her face as she sniffled.

Lucas got up from his bed, still full dressed in his clothes from the day before. In the light, he finally noted that there wasn't a sign of blood from the man he had killed. He wanted to comfort her and sat next to her. Already knowing that a man's touch would appall her, he reached out.

Brooke squirmed away from him and rolled out of her bed. She stood in the opposite corner of the motel room, sinking to the floor and holing onto her ears. Her eyes watching his every movement.

He remained on her bed, knowing that he had to wait for her to be ready to open up about the nightmare she was living. He didn't want to rush her but they needed to get moving again soon just incase there were any possible leads on the story. He was actually glad that the old television was broken in their room.

Even if she didn't want to believe it, her safety mattered to him more than his own.

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><p>From the outside, it all seemed up to par on the norm. Every day people continuously walked passed the house, obliviously to what was really going on inside. It was scary to think that anything out of the ordinary could exist or maybe it was scarier that nobody knew the truth and could just keep on living.<p>

Even as the sky remained a bright blue without a single cloud covering it, the inside of the house was a different story. There was complete frenzy of rage and fear under the calm atmosphere. In a small amount of time someone was going to get hurt and nobody would be turning their heads from the screaming. Then again, they weren't even allowed to scream.

"How could this have happened?" His dirty fingers pulled aside one of the sheets as he walked passed it. He rested one of his his grimy hands under his chin as he tried to process what he could possible do. One of his men had not returned with their most prized girl. What the fuck went wrong and why wasn't anyone contacting him about it?

Last night and this morning he had tried calling him and he had no answer. That was his sign that something was up. He had also tried calling the number of the two men that had stopped by the previous day to scout her out and purchase her. Who was to blame.

"Sir, there's still no answer. This isn't like him. He always returns after the hour is up." The man's son told him.

The man held up his hand to stop his son from talking. He already knew everything and didn't care to hear it again. "Felix, get me the redhead." His voice was calm. "Bring her to the training room and tie her up."

Felix nodded as he cracked his knuckles. "Yes, sir."

Once his son left to do his orders, he scratched at his chin. "Where are you, Brooke Davis? When I find out what the fuck is going on, you're going to get it so hard. For now, I guess your friend will have to do."

With a sigh, he started walking off passed another sheet until he was met by the the girl he told his son to fetch. A sneer grin hit his face as he walked over to kneel in front of her. A small laugh escaped his throat when he heard signs of struggling, signs that there was still a sense of life and humanity inside of her. The laugh was stronger as he unzipped his jeans, knowing that he could take that away from her.

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><p>Brooke came back to her bed. She was now wearing one of Lucas' heavier jackets. It covered up the tattered old dress that she was in. Her pale bruised legs were still revealed for the world to see, even though they probably would just look the other way at the sight of them.<p>

On the opposite side of the room sat Lucas. He was drinking a shitty cup of coffee that he got from the motel check-in building. The bitter taste of the coffee couldn't cover up his true hatred for everything that was surrounding Brooke and this circuit. The unknown about what he was supposed to do next stabbed at his stomach. What was right and what was wrong?

"Who are you?" Her soft voice broke through the dry air.

"I'm Lucas Scott. I was sent to help you." He repeated his answers from last night."Do you remember anything last night?"

"I remember going to a hotel room with two men. I was supposed to satisfy them and let them have my body. My body pleases them, every man that touches it." Brooke seemed like she could fade away again when she talked.

Lucas rubbed his temple when he heard her talk about her body like it was nothing but a useless object. He was glad that he was able to take her one less night away from that.

"There was another man with your eyes." She croaked.

Nathan. He couldn't help but think about what was going on with him right now. Was Haley still left in the dark about this? Nathan promised him numerous times that he wouldn't tell her anything. It must be killing him not to talk to the one person he truly loved about something so damaging. If Haley ever found out what Nathan was doing, would she stay with him?

"That was my brother. He won't be with us anymore." He told her.

All she did was nod. "We have to go back." She told him, showing only a little of authority. It was rare and unexpected from Lucas.

Her tone made him curious. Maybe if he understood why they had to, then she would tell the haunting tales of what was going on in that boarding house of terror.

"We can't go back, Brooke. If we go back, then they'll possible kill us. These type of things have to be handled very carefully." _Just like the circuit members worked. "_I can't risk that for any of us. Why do you want to go back to that place, anyway?"_  
><em>

Her voice came out more mumbled and in a meek whisper, "I promised her."

His eyebrow arched in curiosity, "Who? What did you promise her?" He felt his body lean forward as he craved answers from her.

Brooke shut down again, not wanting to give too much away. Wasn't she happy that she was out of there, saved even?

Lucas let out a frustrated sigh. "Well, by now, the police will be involved in this unless those sick bastards moved their location after our stunt last night. That's not really my main problem right now because the only reason they would ever try to look for us is to kill us before we get to anybody that can bring them down. If we're out of the picture, they''ll just pretend like we were never in existence in the first place." He replenished his throat with his cold thick excuse for a cup of coffee. The stingy taste help him forget for just a second that he wasn't really living this life.

"My escort, do you think he-could he have told?" Her voice shook as she asked him.

"You won't have to worry about him ever again. I took care of him when I left you with Nathan last night." Lucas confessed to her.

"He's dead? You-you were able to kill him?" Her voice was raspy with shock and lack of water. She shook her head in disbelief before bringing her bare knees to her chest, like a child. The weight had been shifted slightly, but not lifted away. It possibly never would be because Brooke had every memory she ever had of that place. It's what kept her from closing her eyes.

Lucas' eyes traveled upward to the stained and cracked ceiling when he realized that Brooke wasn't wearing any underwear. "You might want to cover up, Miss Davis." He told her in a professional tone. He listened as the covers ruffled and when they stopped, he was able look to her again.

"We really do need to get moving again soon, just in case. I know that there must be a million thoughts racing through your mind right now but I need you to be able to tell me things about them and how they're running things. It's a sick place to have to revisits and yet, that's the only way I can help you."

She nods hesitantly as she lied down again. Her hands connected and rested under her cheeks as she stared straight ahead.

For some reason, now, he wanted to know everything. Sure, it would make him want to beat anyone who has ever touched her to a bloody pulp but he had a thirst to know. The one question that he wanted her to answer without being afraid was; d_o you remember who I am? Do you remember that I sat in the office that time you asked to borrow from your father?_ The next drive was going to be even longer that this one because he was going out of his way to get her home. As much as it hurt her, she couldn't be silent forever. The stories behind every scar and every fear had to be let free.

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><p><strong>AN 2: <strong>This chapter was sort of hard for me to write. It's my first action type of scene. I hope you guys were able to read it smoothly and didn't think it was too unrealistic. Until the next update, I appreciate your feedback. -kaill


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **This story is rated M because it discusses the dark theme of human trafficking. If this topic disturbs you, then please do not read this story. I fully understand that people will not be comfortable reading about this. It will not be described in full but, it is a reoccurring event in this fanfic. I do not intend to offend anyone under any circumstances. -kaill

**AN: **Thank you to paigematthewsfan21, sunshine, xXalienatedXx, dreamkent, BpDs89, rainbowbright108, Leeese, dianehermans, smallvillegirl004, craxygirl54, and curlylizard97 for your reviews.

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><p>"So, are you going to tell me what's going on with you and Lucas?" Haley asked Nathan curiously as she prepared a small lunch for her and Nathan.<p>

He hadn't really spoken to her the way he used to when he came home. Haley was curious to know what could have possible happened between Nathan and Lucas that would have made Nathan call her to pick him up from a motel. It had to be a big deal because she knew that Nathan and Lucas rarely got into any fights that would cause them to be distant from each other.

She had thought about maybe calling Lucas to see if she could get the answers out of him but Nathan protested against it, telling her that there was no reason for her to get involved. At first, she let is slide because it was apparent that Nathan was angry with Lucas about something and she wanted to respect Nathan's wishes. Now, there was a hint of fear shaking in his voice.

Looking up from the counter, Haley noticed that Nathan was still sitting in the same position on his couch and staring hard at the television. He had been that way ever since he had woken up. His new behavior started to make her worried about him. This was an entire new side to Nathan; his ability to be like a brick wall.

He didn't know what to tell her and it wasn't just because he had promised Lucas that he would keep quiet about it. Not even his love and trust fro Haley was going to break the code of his job. That was one of the worst parts. He was now training himself not to even look at her because the sight of her brown eyes and angelic face killed him.

It was already causing Haley to be concerned about him. He knew that. She could read his body language so easily and when she first touched his hand after picking him up from the hotel, his body stiffened. Haley's touches had never done that to him before. Everything about Haley that he was used to now disturbed him and he couldn't shake that feeling off. He was actually bewilder by that because he didn't even experience the full extent of it. His eyes only got to see the wickedness of a husband and wife, a basement that turned into an auction room, and the shaky hands of Brooke Davis when she tried to touch him because she thought that was what he wanted from her.

That got Nathan to wondering how many others there were they got further with her. He didn't know if it was the drugs or that Brooke was actually aware of what was going on that made her move so slowly. She didn't want any of it and he just stood there, letting her do her "job". What did that say about him? Was he okay with having her do those things to him? _No. _He wanted to shake that thought from his mind violently so that it never even crossed him again.

Other times when that moment played in his mind, on repeat, it wasn't Brooke's face that he saw. It was Haley's. Before he would leave for work or other important outings, Haley would always fix his tie for him and send him off with a kiss for good-luck.

The sound of the glass plate hitting the table brought Nathan back. Haley was now sitting beside him, curling her legs to her side. One of her arms rested lazily over the couch. From the corner of his eye, he could see her delicate fingers move. Then he felt them lightly touch his neck and her thumb wiped over his cheek. They left a ticklish tingly feeling on his skin. His heart sank because he just couldn't give in to her comfort like he used to.

"I wish I could know what to do to make this go away for you." Her voice spoke softly, like it always has.

He had to ignore it, staring off into space, Nathan started to think of what has become of his brother. How far have they gotten? Were they still on the road? There were times last night where Nathan's eyes would snap open because he thought he heard knocking on his door. The fear of somebody on the other side, wanting the answers that he was keeping locked away, consumed him. What if the man from the basement was able to track him down and wanted Haley in exchange for Brooke? Sure, it sounded crazy but, it was a thought that he couldn't shut out.

There were many reasons why Nathan came home. After seeing the few girls, he selfishly wanted to live a happy life without having his brain tarnished. He freaked out when reoccurring thoughts of what if Haley was the one standing on the stage in her bra and underwear scarred his mind. He might react, just like Lucas had. When his courage was restored, Nathan was going to go down to the facility and declare his resignation from work He didn't know if Mr. Davis was going to let him but he had to try. It wasn't going to be easy to get out because he was already subjected by Mr. Davis to carry out this mission with Lucas. He had information that he wanted nothing to do with except, trying his best to repress it before it took power over him. Another reason why he knew it was best for himself to be done was because of his relationship with Haley. For starters, Nathan couldn't stand being away from Haley. Other assignments could take him further from her and strain their relationship more. Plus, the situation he was in was making him be read by Haley. Lucas was right when he told him that this was going to change him. All Nathan did was tell him that it wasn't. When it was all said and done, he might be losing Haley after all.

Nathan fought his urge to look to Haley's face again. He didn't know what he would do if he actually craned his neck to just look at her face, knowing that she was still right beside him. All he truly wanted desperately was to tell her the truth.

Her arm rested back in her lap before she reached over to grab her plate. She didn't take a bite, hoping that Nathan would pick up his plate and join her. Not to her surprise, he didn't. She looked over to what on the television screen could have him in such a trance. There was no way that an infomercial for a food processor was turning him into a mindless robot.

When she didn't get an answer she let out the sigh she had been holding in and started eating her lunch.

_I'm sorry. _

* * *

><p>His car was stopped in a new parking lot. Lucas had spent most of the night from the previous day driving. He had made a few stops only for snacks and bathroom breaks at some rest stops. Every time he stepped out of the car, he wondered if somebody was hiding and waiting for him. He was taking a dangerous way out and knew that it was only a matter of time before they were on his tail. He never left Brooke alone in the car. He didn't feel like he was able to protect her if she was left alone and he knew that she didn't want to be alone. It scared her the first few times that he would pull up somewhere and stop. Each time he promised her that it was going to be okay.<p>

She was sleeping against the window, like Nathan had when they first drove down to scope out the area she was captive in.

Nathan. With the drastic turn of events, he hadn't really had the chance to think about what was going on with him right now. It pretty much was impossible for Lucas to think about anyone other than Brooke and anyone who could be out there that knew what happened to their precious little underground business. Now, he felt like his mind was allowed to be at ease for a moment and he was allowed to wonder about Nathan.

He knew for certain that Nathan wasn't going to tell Haley anything. If he did, he'd be jeopardizing a lot. His relationship, for one, and also his job. Sure, Nathan would sacrifice things to be with Haley but he knew when he had to man up and keep his mouth shut to keep the harmony.

Lucas let out a sigh from the stress of everything. What if he had just stuck to his original plans? Nathan might still be with him and he wouldn't be driving around with Brooke to skip out of town. He probably also would have kept his temper and not killed the escort.

His eyes scanned over her to see the bruises and cuts on her arms and revealed pale legs. Her worm our dress was still tight on her body and because of her position it had bunched up. The sick bastards also stripped the poor girl of her underwear so Lucas could see the bottom of her rear. As soon as he realized it he looked up to the ceiling of his car. Then his eyes looked to the backseat of his car to find an old sweatshirt that was thrown there. He turned to grab it.

Without trying to wake her, Lucas placed it over her legs. When the material grazed her skin, her body moved and she let out groan. Lucas felt himself almost holding his breath when he pulled his hands away from her.

She needed more than just an old sweatshirt. He couldn't keep them cooped up in motel rooms or his car for their entire trip back. Plus, how would it look to the public if he walked around with a young girl dressed like she was, well she pretty much was, a prostitute. It was then that Lucas remembered that he luckily grabbed his bag before leaving the night he took Brooke's life into s hands, along with his own. He probably had a t-shirt and sweatpants that Brooke could use until he could find some kind of clothing store. They'd be a bit baggy on her frame, but anything was better than the piece of fabric she was wearing now. He also made a mental note to get Brooke some underwear.

He quietly tried to open up his door. He pressed down to unlock his, hearing the clicking sound echo throughout the confide space of the car.

It hadn't been five minutes since and Brooke's eyes fluttered open until her hazel irises were looking around until they landed on her new covers. Then her eyes looked up to him. Her lips remained in a flat line as she swallowed to coat her scratchy throat.

"I didn't mean to wake you." He waited for her to say something, anything. His hand "I was just going to grab you some clothes out of my bag from the back. I might have a comb, too, if you wanted to brush your hair."

Carefully stepping out of the car, Lucas can't help but look around. There were a few other cars parked in the lot but he guessed that they belonged to the employees. He walked to the back of his car to open up the back. Unzipping the bag, he quickly shifted his balled up clothes out of the way to find what he was looking for. Once he was successful, he sipped it back up and shut the back of his car.. This time he walked around the passenger's side and knocked on Brooke's window. Even through the tinted glass, he noticed her flinch. He pointed down to the buttons to let her know to roll her window down.

Her finger pressed down on the button and the grey window revealed her face to him. His hands went through the window to pass along his clothes. "You can change in here. I'm just going to wait outside until your done. You can just knock on the window when your done. Don't worry, my back will be turned." He reassured her.

Brooke nodded as she took his clothes from him. She placed them on her lap before pressing the automatic button to create a shield for herself.

As he promised, Lucas turned around as soon as the window stopped at the top. His back leaned against his car, not on the window, to give Brooke some more space. He looked around, checking out the area. They were parked in a lot for a small furniture store. From the looks of his surroundings it wasn't a very popular one.

A jerk twitched in his body when he heard the window being rolled back down. He knew that it was probably easy fro her to slide into his clothes but he had opposite thoughts for the dress she was wearing.

He turned back to see that she was all done changing. Her red dress was on the floor of his car. As much as he wanted to throw it out or burn it, he knew that he had to save it for possible evidence of anything. The dress was dirty and he didn't even want to guess what on it.

Once Lucas slid back in the car, he turned to see Brooke. She looked "I know it's not the most fashionable look but it's all I have for you until I can find a shopping mall. There's a town about 20 miles from here so, I'll keep a lookout and we'll buy you something that you can wear. This way, you can start feeling more like yourself again and we don't have to separate ourselves from the world."

_I know you probably miss the feeling of liberation._

* * *

><p>She had left after staying by his side for the past hour. She told him she had things that she needed to take care of back at her place. He was able to get up and walk her to the door, knowing that she was going to come back to him.<p>

After he had closed the door behind her, Nathan turned back to face his empty apartment that wasn't going to be that way forever. Before he left with Lucas, Nathan had asked Haley to move in with him. The timing wasn't the best because he didn't know how long he was even going to be gone. Now, he had all the time in the world to just stew in his newly fuzzy life. All he could hope for now was that she stilled had enough of patience to do that with him.

Haley was a strong-willed person. She wasn't going to stop trying to be there for him because she cared enough to think the best of him. That was more than he could ask for in this case. It hadn't been that long since he returned but all their time spent together was pretty much him ignoring her. That was the last thing she deserved and he didn't want to be the jackass that did that to her.

* * *

><p>"Now, it's not going to be as easy as stepping out and blending back into society. I don't know if you have any missing person flyers administered or if you've been on the news. If they're are and people can identify you, then they'll jump to conclusion about me kidnapping you. You don't have to tell them anything. I'm just letting you know because all you need to do is keep calm. If you feel like you're in any kind of danger or you feel anxiety, then let me know and we'll come back out here."<p>

Her head moved up and down, showing him that she heard and understood him. Wishing that she could just speak to him, Lucas let out another sigh. Didn't Brooke understand that every minute of her silence was time being wasted away?

"Are you ready? I won't get out until you're sure that you want to step out." Lucas had a strange urge to reach over to her and leave a comforting touch on her arm. He forced himself to pull back, knowing that it was too soon to tell what Brooke's actual boundaries were.

"Okay." Her lips barely moved as she placed her hand on the handle. Her knuckles were white and boney as she gripped it.

They walked from the parking lot to the entrance of the shopping mall. Every so often Lucas' attention would be on Brooke, trying to read her body language. She was doing fairly well for a person who hadn't had social contact in lord knows how long. By now, he thought that she would show some signs of discomfort from him having to follow her around all the time.

It dawned on him. He was always telling her that he was there for her protection and he constantly kept his watch on her. It was his job to. The sudden eerie feeling was now washing over him as he just compared himself to what her escort must have done.

Brooke stopped in front of one of the clothing racks. Her fingers ran over a few of the items as she walked next to it. She stopped, grabbing one of the shirts and began to feel the material.

Lucas watched as Brooke was getting reacquainted with the world. Her tongue wet her lips as she began moving the rejected choice out of her way and as she did so Lucas noticed that she easily thrown the idea of wearing red aside. He would have done the same if he was picking out clothes for her to wear.

She picked up a leopard print knit sweater-top. Her eyes studied the pattern as she held it up. She turned to show Lucas, her facial features asking him if it was an okay pick.

"Why don't you go try in on in a dressing room? I'll wait right here for you. You can pick up a pair of jeans or something on your way."

"And underwear. I don't have any but you already know that." She told him, walking away to go try on the new clothes.

"Right." He muttered.

His hearing perked up when he heard snickers and whispers coming from a few racks of clothes over. He turned to the direction it was coming from and two girls, who could easily be 16 and picked up by potential trafficking enthusiasts, were looking at him and laughing. They dropped their smiles and darted their eyes back down to

"Disrespectful much?" He gritted between his teeth as he talked to himself, finding himself wishing that Brooke would almost be finished trying on clothes and getting whatever else she needed.

He had the feeling to check on her to see if she was still even in the store with him but he didn't want to seem to possessive. That would give the other people in the store something to stare and make assumptions about.

He couldn't wait to get her home, where she could be comfortable, safe, and away from all of this.

Brooke came back with the clothes on her arm. Her head turned to face the two other girls in the same section. "What?"

"Did everything fit okay? Is that all that you want?" Lucas asked her, doing his best to ignore the ignorance of the other girls.

Looking at the pile of clothes in her hands and then back to Lucas, she nodded. "You don't have to do this, you know." Brooke told him as she started to follow him towards the register.

He couldn't help but let out a chuckle. It wasn't because he thought that what she had said was funny. It was because every moment had to be taken seriously and he didn't know if he would ever have the chance to laugh again.

* * *

><p>"I wish that we could go back." Brooke said as she kept her eyes glued to the passenger side window. She was now out of Lucas' clothes and wearing the new ones that he was bought for her. She was starting to look more and more like her normal self. Now, all she needed was something to cover up any cuts and bruises on her face and hands and something that could erase her nightmare away.<p>

"That's out of my hands, especially since they probably know that we have you in custody. It would be risking to much if I turned around to try and get any more of them out." He told her again. There were still no mentions of any names from her and he wished that he had asked the man when he introduced himself as Joshua Parker.

Why was she so keen on going back there and thinking that it was all going to be okay? Lucas didn't even know if his new play-by-ear was going to end up with everyone getting out alive.

Lucas turned to her when he heard a sigh came from her lips.

"It's just the turn of events, I guess. One moment I'm in this hell, going on another client meeting, and I meet a man and his brother who weren't interested in having sex with me. They wanted to save me instead." She explained to him as she continued to stare out the window. She took in the sight of the field and the tress in the distance as the vehicle passed them. It had been a long time since Brooke had last seen the simplicity of the outside world.

Hell was putting it lightly. Lucas felt his teeth push against each other forcefully.

She turned to him, threading her fingers together and resting them on her lap. Her thumbs wrestled together while she tried to find the right words to say to him. Lucas hoped that her nervousness was a sign that she might be growing to be comfortable around him. That didn't mean that she was starting to trust him, even though Lucas hoped that she one day would.

Lucas looked over his shoulder to see if there were any other cars behind him, before bringing his eyes forward again. She wanted to tell him something, he could feel it. Tension and heat filled the inside of his car.

"Is everything okay, Brooke?" He asked her, being careful with his tone. Lucas hid the fact that he was curious to hear whatever she had to say. Any information he could get about her captors and their underground activity would make his getaway more comforting yet, he'd probably have to pull over because the stories that had to be shared would cause a blinding rage to build up inside of him.

Her teeth scrapped against her dried lip, peeling back its skin. Her eyes closed as she took in a deep breath. When she opened her eyes a few seconds later, tears brimmed and glossed her eyes. Without even blinking, the tears trailed down her cheeks. She shook her head, squeezing her eyelids over her agains, like she was trying to suffocate any emotion that she was finally letting out.

"I know that I'm asking a lot from you and that it's a place you don't want to revisit. Talking about it is the only way that I can get the proof I need for a real investigation to start." He explained to her.

"I'm sorry." She apologized.

"Don't be. I just hope that we can get to that point because I do want to help you and all the others that are being held there. This is probably the most we've talked and I've enjoyed the quietness being gone."

She was silent before she spoke again. "Thank you for the new clothes. I didn't say it earlier so I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. We have a couple more stops to hit. Unless, you had enough for the day."

"Where else do we need to go?"

"Well, I don't know about you but I could use a meal. Then after that I plan on finding a grocery store to buy some essentials for you."

Brooke shook her head. "You really don't have to do that for me."

"Look, I've already told you that it's no big deal and I actually want to do this for you." He paused. He couldn't believe he couldn't figure it out before. Maybe men have bought Brooke things before, as a payment for her favors. "Do you have a problem with me buying you things?"

She shook her head again. "It's nothing like that. I was just trying to be modest." Her tone turned back to it's mousey shyness.

Lucas nodded, knowing that he shouldn't continue to push against the progress that he had made with her. He noted that Brooke was slowly able to have a complete conversation with him as long as it had nothing to do with anything regarding the case. There was something else that Lucas noticed whenever he had the actual chance to talk to Brooke. She had never once mentioned her father.

In that moment, it was the first time that Lucas had thought about Mr. Davis. He had never called, even after his alleged meeting with Brooke. He turned to look at Brooke, who was curling up in the seat, ready to let sleep overcome her body. Just looking at her, he knew that he would say the call for another time. The only thing that mattered to him right now was keeping them both safe.

* * *

><p><strong>AN 2: <strong>Thank you for continuing to read and give feedback on this story. The next chapter will have some graphic material, but more so in Brooke's point of view (_Monster_), which may be my next posted story. When I planned out this story I noticed that most of it is Lucas based and I know that I wanted to capture Brooke's centric as well. If there are any unanswered questions by the end of this story, they might be answered in the next installment. In order to get that underway, there will be more updates for this one and not as many for _Wake Me Up. _-kaill


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **This story is rated M because it discusses the dark theme of human trafficking. If this topic disturbs you, then please do not read this story. I fully understand that people will not be comfortable reading about this. It will not be described in full but, it is a reoccurring event in this fanfic. I do not intend to offend anyone under any circumstances. -kaill

**AN: **Thank you to paigematthewsfan21, BpDs89, dreamkent, xXalienatedXx , rainbowbright108, dianehermans, alysef, curlylizard97, ReadingRed, Mars, and Leeese for your reviews on the last chapter. As I mentioned in the last chapter, this one will have some darkness and they will be in much more detail in _Monster._ -kaill

* * *

><p>The diner they had stopped at was practically empty, which was completely fine with Lucas. He preferred not having people around him when he was focusing on a mission. It was probably turning to better for them that Nathan wasn't with them anymore. Things might have not progressed with Brooke like they have been.<p>

Even though there were barely any people there, it seemed that that service was absent as well. Lucas kept peering over into the actual seating area to see if he could get somebody to take care of them. His impatience was at a higher level due to the stressful situation that he had put himself and Brooke in. It's not everyday that he was on the run from a trafficking leader. That is, if the leader had figured out by now that Lucas wasn't just truly a client. He wondered how worried Brooke was about all of it, too. She must be terrified about getting caught again.

How many days has Brooke wondered about when she would see the light of day again? Did her mind eventually shut down the idea of ever breaking free and returning to the safety of her old life? Then again, this terrible tragic story did start from her old life.

He couldn't stop thinking about it. The answers to his own questions were now consuming him to the point where just wanted to sit Brooke down in a secluded room and talk to her for days straight about everything that happened in that house. It wasn't going to be that way and he just wished that communication about tragedy was as simple as telling someone you were close to about your life.

Lucas pulled himself back when he noticed two men get up from their seats. A small wave a relief washed over him when he watched as they put on their jackets and old baseball caps.

"Is somebody finally coming?" Brooke asked him, trying to look over his shoulder.

"No, there's just more people leaving. My guess is that they got tired of waiting for someone to notice them, too." He turned over to tell Brooke. His face grew with a slight confusion when he noticed Brooke backing away from him.

"Brooke, what's wrong?" His eyes searched her face and found the same facial expression he saw when she woke up in the hotel room with him. Something was making her react and Lucas could only think of one answer.

His attention went back to the two men, who were now staring at Brooke and exchanging their own looks. They started coming forward again and Brooke began to cower and back up behind Lucas, wanting to disappear.

"Brooke?" Lucas' voice asked her, a little afraid himself, as he watched her retreating into her childlike state.

"Well, this is an odd surprise. I didn't think we'd ever be seeing you again." The tad younger man spoke, eyeing Brooke up and down like a vulture.

Lucas stepped up, protecting Brooke from whoever these two strangers were. He had a pretty good guess that they knew her from somewhere by the way they were studying her.

"How much did you have to pay to take her this far out? We asked for an overnight stay and that man and his wife wouldn't allow it. You must be some special client." The other chuckled, looking at his friend, who then joined in.

"So how are you?" He tried taking a step closer to her, reaching out his hand.

Lucas' face went stone cold, figuring out who they were. They have been with Brooke Davis. They've touched her and she's touched them. Any more extensive thoughts would make him crazier than he already felt.

Lucas looked back to Brooke wishing that he had taken her out of the diner sooner before they noticed who she was. Now, he could only pray that didn't mean trouble for them.

He cleared his throat wanting to be the one to ask all the questions. Then he knew it was safer if he just played his part as Joshua Parker to make these guys leave and get Brooke out of there faster.

"I guess special is the right way to put it. This isn't my first time paying for her. I guess, I just couldn't get enough."

Both men nodded. "She'll do that to a guy. She must have for you if you're buying her a meal. I wouldn't mind paying for another hour with that one. Did you buy a package deal and get the redhead with her?"

"Man, you haven't lived until you buy those two together." The other added, patting Lucas on the shoulder.

Lucas fought back his natural instinct to stiffen at his touch. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind," he tried not to stammer. He looked back to Brooke, who was now pressed up between his back and the door. Her long hair hid her face that was touching his back.

"Listen, I have to get back to my truck. I forgot my wallet. You think I'd remember it since, I've been paying for this one so much. Hell, I bought her the clothes she's wearing." Lucas told, hoping they would buy it and be on their way, forgetting that they ever looked to the face of Brooke Davis.

They chuckled again.

"What young girl doesn't try and squeeze a man's wallet dry? At least, we get a pretty sweet payment in return, right?" The older one smirked.

"Yeah, poor bastards across the country are just succumbing to much younger and sexier woman these days." He forced himself to laugh, like he was businessman doing something he knew was wrong but was too addicted to care.

He hated himself for saying these things, especially since Brooke could hear his every word.

"Amen, well, we'll let you go." He glanced over Lucas to try and catch a look at Brooke. It was nice to see you again."

The door jingled as they walked out. Lucas stood still until he heard it close again. He began counting to create more distance before he turned around to capture the new image of Brooke that he had just began to break.

"Are you okay?" His hands rested on her shoulders as he tried to look at her face. She backed away from him, wanting his hands off of her. "Let's go sit in the truck and relax. We'll come back when you're ready."

Lucas walked over to the door and opened it for Brooke. She walked ahead of Lucas and for the first time, Lucas saw Brooke Davis run like her life depended on it. He felt a surging pain in his chest as he watched her go.

He eventually caught up to her after he unlocked the door when he walked away from the diner so she could let herself in without having to wait for him.

He opened his own door and slid in, practically slamming his because of the built up rage he had.

"Who are they? What did they do to you?" His questions fired at her. All he wanted to know was the simple fact so he could bring her any sort of justice.

Through her tears she mumbled something that Lucas could only guess was about them. "They were my, they were my first after I was tested." She bite her lip and wiped angrily at her tears as hatred was finally filling up inside her and being released.

Lucas remained silent and and waited for Brooke to want to open up and explain about this test and her first client experience. His hands became sweaty as he balled them into fists, resting them at his sides. He would do anything to just release his anger out on his car or, better yet, to the people who did anything to her ever.

"When I first got there, I remember that I woke up in a bedroom. It had black curtains and barely any light could get through," she turned her head to look out the window, closing her eyes, "my hands were tied to a bedpost and I was sitting on the floor. Then I felt tight hands go around my ankles and pulling them away from each other.

"There was a woman, kneeling in-in front of me with this wicked and stern expression. I was too afraid to speak. I didn't know about anything."

The woman he had spoken on the phone with and talked to so loosely with had done something more than just sign her off to strangers. Much worse qualities laid behind her face. Qualities that he couldn't wait for the police to hear about and take her away for.

More tears cascaded down Brooke's cheeks. Lucas couldn't find the words to intervene to let her know that she didn't have to speak anymore if she didn't want to. He had been pushing for this but now that the moment presented its self, he didn't know if he could take it.

"She told me that she had to test me and if I passed, she'd untie me. I wanted to believe her but I knew I shouldn't. Her hand went between my thighs. Then there was this sharp pain and I realized where her fingers were and what she was testing me for. She was poking at me. I felt like screaming from the pain and the fear of what the hell was going on. Who was she and the other people? Why was she putting her fingers up inside me?"

A bitter noise came from Brooke. "I guess I passed it."

"And my friend was with me. She was tied to the other post. They tested her, too but since she wasn't a virgin they took her in a different room. I couldn't hear anything that was happening to her and I just started to panic. The next thing I felt was a needle poking through my skin and I thought that I was fading away as I was being dragged off in the other direction. I wanted to shout for her but I wasn't able to say anything." She paused to caught her breath and wipe at her face again. Then she looked at him with her burning hazel yet, red eyes. "She's my best friend and that's why we have to go back. I promised her that we'd get through whatever hell this is together."

From that moment on, Brooke stayed quiet, letting tears fall from her eyes and drip down onto her jeans.

All Lucas could do was sit beside her, throat dry and mind tainted. His questions breaking away from him for the first time in days and wanting to know anything about her first time, with those two men and her friend, leaving with them.

* * *

><p>"What the hell is going?" Mr. Taggaro's booming voice rattled through the basement, scaring the already horrified girls in the back. His red shot beady eyes glared at his wife. "Well? You ran the fucking paperwork with these guys! How did you not think to run some kind of check on them?"<p>

"I'm not the only one at fault here." Her voice came out meekly. "You were the one who lead them into the basement and showed off the girls, especially that brunette girl. You know that any guy would want her."

"Dad, don't take this all out on Mom just because you're pissed." Felix came from behind the curtain when he heard his father's shouts. With his father's anger the last thing Felix wanted was for someone he cared about to be alone with him.

His father let out a groan before rubbing his hand over his face. "764 wouldn't talk to me even after her little punishment."

"Did you really think that she would?" Mrs. Taggaro asked. "They all fear you."

"I have the control. I have the power to make them speak to me. Screw fear." He felt like punhcing the concrete walls that surrounded him.

"Now, you better get your ass upstairs and figure out how to run all the information on these two that you can. Trace the call and the address. We need to find them before they call someone to find us, which I'm surprised hasn't happened yet since it's been a few days since 631 and Joseph went missing."

His wife nodded. "What are we supposed to about this?"

"I want to make sure these two die and that we get our girl back. Then, I'll have to kiss Joseph for being a fucking idiot. I knew I shouldn't have let him be the one to escort her." He sneered.

"I find out everything that I can. In the meantime, we have another client coming in a few hours. Are you sure you'll be able to handle doing this with a girl and escort missing? I would think you'd be more on edge about who we let onto the property now."

Mr. Tagarro fixed his posture and cleared is throat. In the most nonchalant voice he spoke to Felix, "Go get 53 and 764 ready for this afternoon's showing." His father disappeared behind the sheet curtain.

Felix had no choice but to obey his father's demands. He walked further into the basement, passed two other sheets. Every time he entered he couldn't help but stop and take in the site of helpless girls being tied down to dingy mattresses. The all looked sullen as their tired eyes would try and avoid eye contact, knowing that they could easily be next.

764 happened to be the girl that he was told to grab every time is father wanted to get answers from when it came to the newly missing 631. Her eyes were the most lost of all the rest, well not as much as 53, who was suffering the longest.

Walking past 764's bed imprisonment, Felix went right over to 53's. She was laying on the bed, her back face to the other girls. Her dead stare was planted on the wall. Felix knelt down next to her mattress and his hand reached out to stroke her hair. Her body didn't even flinch when he touched her. SHe had completely shutdown and he couldn't believe how someone so full of life could become the complete opposite.

"It'll be okay, Anna, someone's figured it out. It will be over soon. I promise you."

* * *

><p>What made a human, human? There had to be much more to the definition than the structure and evolution of how they came to be. The people who do hateful things are human and the ones who are good are human. Was there a line that separated them from human and monster?<p>

The people he was dealing with couldn't possibly be human. Something had to be toying with their minds and making them think that what they were doing was okay. It was the only explanation Lucas could think of. Would any other person have the ability to do such things?

He couldn't believe that one of those two men took her virginity. Which one was it? He wished he could have stomached the question and answer because he would have felt like he wanted to kill him for taking that one thing that made Brooke truly innocent away from her. Now, nothing in this redesigned girl was pure.

He wished that they didn't have to go through with these things. It wasn't just the girls at the same house as Brooke or all the others in the state. It was a worldwide problem and nobody should have to become a victim to it.

It wasn't fair. This world was a huge lie when people believed that nothing bad can happen. It does and sometimes right under people's fucking noses.

"I-I can't make this a personal matter." He was lying right to her face. This was a personal matter because she was his bosses daughter. He disregarded all the rest and only took her because he knew her face.

She shook her head. "It is a personal matter."

He paused. Did she know who he worked for? Did she know who he was?

"Those other girls are all somebody's lost child. These monsters are abducting innocent girls and making them sex slaves. How is that not personal?" Her voice became raspy as she raised her voice at him.

She was right. No matter who he knew and didn't, dealing with humankind was a personal thing. What they did with their bodies was the most personal thing and it was easily taken away because it wasn't their choice on who they wanted to give it to anymore.

After awhile, he turned to look back at the diner. The guys had long gotten into their truck and left. He couldn't help but wonder what they were thinking and doing after seeing Brooke. They were pretty certain that they would never have to see her face again. How could they look at her and ask her how she was doing? There was no way in hell that she was going to tell them that she was fine.

He turned back to Brooke, wondering if she okay. "It's safe to go back in, if you want to. Are you hungry?" _What kind of question is that? How could she not be hungry? Very considerate, Lucas. _

She nodded slowly. "I don't know if i can stomach food right now though."

"That makes two of us." he told her bluntly.

Lucas got out and walked with Brooke. "Now, we can't talk about any of this when we're inside. We have to keep everything confidential."

"Okay, I know that. I'd do anything to stop having to talk." She told him, staying by his side.

"Well, when we get you home and the media finds out about the, hopeful, bust, they'll want you to talk about it, forever."

"Great." She deadpanned. It wasn't ever going to get easier.

This time when they entered, they were seated right away. Lucas rolled his eyes because he couldn't believe that they were now just being noticed. The waitress probably didn't recognize that they had just been in there earlier.

It was awkward sitting across from her now. He was used to sitting next to her because he could always force himself to focus on the road or she would stare out the window at everything that passed them by. This time the main direction he could look was forward, right at her and not just the side of her face. She was in full view.

Her hair wasn't in her face anymore. Her black makeup she wore was fully gone. Before it was smudged on her face on it let a stained trail from her tears. She looked like any other teenager now that her dress and makeup was gone. No one would know her story or even think she had one. Maybe they would, though. Her eyes were heavy of a novel.

He cleared his throat as he shook his head in slight embarrassment, which made Brooke take to his his attention. "I don't know what we could possibly talk about now instead of the obvious. I guess we might as well be better off if we just ate in silence and wait to we get back to the car."

After this mission he couldn't picture himself ever getting back in his car because of all the new things that it stood for. He couldn't even think about trading it in for a new one. No one deserved to own that car and feel haunted by the presence of what conversations went on inside.

"When will we be home? You keep saying that's where we're going but I don't feel any closer." Brooke spoke up, ignoring Lucas' comment.

"Soon," He could only hope. "That's when it's going to get more crazy. I bet you miss being there."

Brooke let out a sigh and shrugged. "I's okay, I guess. I don't really spend too much time there. Between school and my social life home doens't exactly exist. Plus, I really don't have the poster child family either." Occasionally, Brooke would look down to her hands in her lap when she talked to him.

Mr. Davis came into his mind again. The man never metioned anything about his wife and the only thing of Brooke was the picture on his desk. Lucas found that he kept to himself mostly. He never cared to ask him because he knew that there were boundaries in the workplace and he shouldn't be asking about his boss' personal life.

He didn't know what to tell her. He was close to his family, especially Nathan. Trying to figure out something to say back to her didn't really matter to him right now. He was just pleasantly surprised with Brooke's turnaround and how much she was now talking with him.

She shrugged again. "It is what it is. I don't mind the loneliness. I've survived that way so far." She meant that in more ways than one.

Brooke went quiet when she noticed that Lucas wasn't talking with her. She rested her hands on the table and began picking at her fingers.

He just couldn't believe her life. She had no sense of family, which he was hoping that she would have some sort of structured life to go back to. That could help her more than he was.

As he reached forward to touch her hands, the waitress made her return to take their order. It wouldn't be long before they were having their first actual meal together. I was more so Brooke's and he was the one who got to witness it before her own father.

He pulled his hand away as he looked into the eyes of the waitress, placing it under the table. It was the only hiding place he could manage if he didn't want Brooke to notice that he wanted to show her that he was there for her in ways more that he knew he should be.

* * *

><p>A dark blue and rusted pick-up truck drove down the road. The truck slowed down as the window came rolling down so the driver could toss his dead cigarette out the window. An unusual smell seemed to take over the air and make it's way into the beat down vehicle. To the driver, the smell was somewhat familiar. Looking behind him, he looked to see if there was any other cars behind him. Seeing nobody, he pulled over.<p>

Two worn out dirty shoes stepped down on the gravel shoulder of the road. Looking down, dark brown eyes noticed tire marks that dug into the gravel and black melted rubber scarring the road. His lungs took in a breath and his eyes stung from the disturbing odor that filled his senses. It was much stronger than before. In the tall grass, a glimmer caught his eye. He walked down the grassy area, seeing a brownish red color staining a trail. Kneeling down on one knee, his fingertips brushed against the ground, trailing over the grass and finding what sparked his keen curiosity. A case shell was picked up by his two fingers. His head quickly scanned around the area in panic.

It was starting to piece together in his mind. The odor was now more clear in his realization. It was the smell of rotting flesh. His eyes looked back to the casing in his fingers before back down to the dried blood that shaded the grass. The only thing he had left to figure out was where the body actually was. His instinct was to follow the scent of the reeking smell that suffocated that air around him but, there was something else left in the grass. Followed by the blood, drag marks were depicted. The trial wasn't exactly defiant because every so often, the short lines would stop and start up again further along the way.

He walked downwards where the land started to slope. Downhill, the scent grew stronger to the point where he couldn't help but cover his nose and gag. Then he immediately stopped in his tracks when he felt himself jolt forward. A few dead bulky tree branches covered his path and around him he could hear the sound of flies buzzing and swarming.

The thinner branches snapped when his bare hands grabbed onto them to move them aside. Rough bark scratched and stabbed into his skin as he grasped the trees. The odor was now completely unbearable and the sight before his eyes could nearly blind a sane man.

"Oh, God," his feet stumbled backwards and he turned around and bent over, feeling the acidic taste swell up his esophagus. Heaved dry coughs gasped from him as he tried to regain himself. A cold sweat formed on his palms and face as he stood still, not knowing if he had recovered.

Flies and gnats swarmed over the body and maggots ate away and buried into the flesh of the decomposing body. The process had just started because the body was easily defined.

Shaky hands reached into the pocket of his jeans to take out his cellphone. His fingertips slowly punched in the number he didn't want to have to call with bad news.

"Dad, I think I found Joesph's body." His eyes stayed on the body as he said every word.

_"Is anyone else around?" The gruff voice asked him. _

"No, sir." He shook his head, glad that nobody else cared to pull aside and be curious about why the road was marked with tar marks and the outside air filled with the smell of decaying flesh.

_"Well, take care of it better than Mr. Parker has." His voice said in a serious yet, pleased tone. _

Felix let out a sigh, not knowing what to exactly do about it. All he was supposed to do was drive down to the hotel where Joshua Parker and Garrett Duncan had stayed at when they called and when there were supposed to have their night with Brooke or, as he was supposed to call her, number 631. He didn't have it in him like his parents and other so-called employees did. Their names were more than just a simple title given to them from their parents. It was how they identified themsevles to the world and this unfortunate world has taken that from countless girls.

He didn't want this. He didn't want any of it.

The next thing Felix did before looking back down to the dead body was sigh loudly. "Why'd you have to do this, Mr. Parker? You'll be in a bigger mess now if my father pieces together the puzzle before the police do." With his foot, he kicked the boot of the body, watching it move limply.

He wondered how things were going to play out now that someone had finally cracked into his family's activities. They possibly couldn't keep doing this business in the same town forever until suspicion hit. Sure, it was all going to go downhill for him and his family but, one of them would get justice. His sister would be freed, as well as the rest of them. They would be scarred in more ways than one but free. Felix finally got his wish in the form of Joshua Parker and Garrett Duncan.

It couldn't be too long for the spiral to turn into a straight line, connecting everyone to their proper place in all of this.

* * *

><p><strong>AN 2: <strong>I hope you all liked this chapter even though it's not the happiest or pleasant of Brucas stories. The next update might not be for a while because I will be going on a 3 week vacation. I want to try and get at least another update for this story. _Wake Me Up_ is officially on the back burner for now because I want to get into stories that I'm more excited about posting.

All grammar mistakes are mine. I read over the chapters before I post them and still find that I have mistakes after I post them.

I also made a twitter account: kaillwrites. I look forward to keeping you more updated there and also to get to know my readers, if any of you have accounts.

Your thoughts are always appreciated! -kaill


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **This story is rated M because it discusses the dark theme of human trafficking. If this topic disturbs you, then please do not read this story. I fully understand that people will not be comfortable reading about this. It will not be described in full but, it is a reoccurring event in this fanfic. I do not intend to offend anyone under any circumstances. -kaill

**AN: **Thank you to paigematthewsfan21, BpDs89, dreamkent, CaseyJr, Leeese, xXalienatedXx, dianehermans, craxygirl54, and music is my heroine(chapters 4 and 5) for your reviews on the last chapter. I would also like to thank all the rest who read, or add this story to their alerts or favorites list. -kaill

* * *

><p>"Am I supposed to tell you that everything's okay?" Lucas scoffed into the phone. He rubbed his fingers over his temples as he rested his forehead into his hand. "Look, you bailed and I'm not upset with you about that, if that's what you're worried about. In saying that, you shouldn't be calling me and asking me how it's going. There's no reason for you to be connected to this case anymore." He paused, wondering if Nathan had talked to Mr. Davis about resigning. It wasn't going to be an easy task because Mr. Davis didn't just let people walk away from the business, especially if an employee was already assigned and starting a case.<p>

_"I know that, Luke. I just wanted to make sure that everything was going smoothly for you." Nathan responded with a deep concern in his voice. "How's Brooke. Is she talking to you yet?"_

Lucas turned his head to look at Brooke, who was busy running her fingers through her dirty greasy hair. He had offered her numerous times that she could take a shower in the hotel room. She just wasn't comfortable, even when Lucas told her that he would wait outside the room until she was finished. Was she afraid that Lucas was going to leave her there or do something to her while she was in her must vulnerable form?

Over the past few days, things seemed a little lighter. Brooke was talking more and with less hesitance. Lucas was still a bit apprehensive only because he didn't want to push too hard after the little amount of progress that has been made with Brooke.

He let out a sigh and return to his conversation with his brother. "It's still a struggle but it's not like it was before. I can't talk to you too much about this because you're not involved anymore."

_"Okay. I should get going anyway. I think I heard Haley come in." Nathan's eyes peered over to his bedroom door, wondering if she could hear his voice from the other side. _

Haley. There was still no change with Nathan. She had called Lucas a few days ago, startling him a bit because he didn't know what Nathan had told her. Nathan did give him his word but Lucas knew that lying to Haley was one of the hardest things Nathan has ever done. This case was probably second on that list.

She was worried. He could immediately tell in her voice that she didn't know what to do to get Nathan to be the same way he was before he left with him. Plus, she repeated to him numerous times that Nathan didn't want her to call him. It was just in her nature to make sure everything remained peaceful in her life. She didn't like drama or deceit between the people she cared about.

He told her the only thing he thought would make things come to an ease. He told the most honest person he had ever known not to worry and that everything was going to be fine. It pained him when he said it because he didn't know if anything was ever going to be fine ever again.

"You've got to bury it, Nate. You weren't in deep enough to let this consume you and turn you into a robot." Lucas told him in a harsh whisper, hoping that Brooke didn't hear it because it was exactly what happened to her. If felt demeaning to say.

_"It's not that easy. I saw the same things you did when we went into that house. I can't just repress this and try to be happy. That never ends up well for a person mental wellness." Nathan argued, trying to keep his voice the same hushed tone as Lucas'._

Did Nathan actually think that was what Lucas had achieved? If he was, then he was wrong. There was no amount of strength inside Lucas to forget any detail about this case. He needed to remember everything, just like he was hoping Brooke would, because once this case became open to the cops and investigators, then they were going to need answers from him and everyone else involved. He had to keep himself from forgetting even though he wished he could let those images and other specific details slip from his memory.

"I'll call you back later, all right? I have to get going."

_"Where are you even going?"_

He was the third person to ask him that question. First, it was Brooke and the only answer he could give her was 'away from this place'. The second person was himself and he knew that he had to get Brooke home but he just didn't know whether or not they were going to make it there safely. They had to keep being on the move just incase her captures were after them. And now, there was Nathan, who knew Lucas all too well.

_"I just hope you're being rational about whatever you decide." That was the last thing Nathan told him before he hung up. There was no goodbye, see you soon, or stay safe._

"Was that your brother?" Brooke asked, still studying her strands of hair.

"Yeah, that was Nathan."

"What's he like? I mean, I could tell when I was trying to undress him that he seemed terrified of me. It's usually the other way around." Brooke finally turned to look at Lucas.

"Well," Lucas cleared his throat, "you're right, Nathan isn't that guy who would ever take advantage of someone else. Actually, he tries his best not to hurt anyone." Lucas let out a chuckle. This definitely wasn't the job for his brother.

"Does that make you his opposite?"

Lucas scratched his head. In some ways, him and Nathan were different. The only people Lucas aimed to ever hurt or take down were the people who didn't know that innocence existed in the world and that it should never be toyed with. Nathan also had a relationship with a woman who he loved. Lucas couldn't pinpoint when he ever felt the way with a girl the same way that Nathan felt with Haley.

"I guess so."

"I'd say you're sort of like him. I don't think you would ever take advantage of anyone either. I was afraid at one point that you both were going to be aggressive or careless but you're the opposite,"

"Brooke, listen," he told her, cutting her off. He couldn't let her tell him what a good guy she thought he was, not after he killed a man in cold blood and not after what had happened a few days ago in that diner.

"What is it?" Her hazel eyes watched him closely as they gleamed from the sun, which was still trying to reach its main point of rest in the sky.

"I-I never apologized to you about what I said in the diner. I just couldn't let those guys know what was happening just incase they had a strong connection to the circuit."

She nodded. "You've explained it all to me already that we have to be careful about this delicate situation. You had to play the part to make sure nobody knows the truth. You don't have to apologize to me about having to ply the part."

"I feel like I need to because I saw the look in your eyes and the fear taking over your body. You weren't playing a part at all. This is what your life has become."

Brooke grew silent. Her eyes lost the light from the sun as if a giant cloud suffocated it into hiding from the earth. She blinked, trying to look away from Lucas without offending him.

At this point, he wanted it to offend him because he felt like he had just done that to her. It wasn't what he wanted to tell her. This hadn't what her entire life had become. There was still time for her to change it, to fix it.

Her raspy voice cut through the silence, "So, what are the big plans for today? You always seem to know what to do."

Grabbing the steering wheel, Lucas looks forward, to Brooke, and then back forwards. "This time I think we'll be staying at a platinium hotel and even for more than one night. We should hit some stores and get whatever we need."

It sounded more like a plan for someone who wasn't heading somewhere but running away and never knowing really what to do. This dance with impulse was something that Lucas had never possessed in his life or his career.

* * *

><p>"May I help you?" The desk clerk asked.<p>

"I called early to see if you had any rooms available. The reservations should be under the last name Scott." Lucas explained as he shifted the weight of his bag so he could pull out his wallet.

"Hold on one second," the clerk began typing. She paused and looked at Brooke with suspicion. "Is she with you, Mr. Scott?"

"Um, yeah," he cleared his throat and handed her his credit card. It shouldn't be any of her business whether or not he and Brooke were together. If she really cared to know he asked for a room with two beds. "We're in town for our parents' anniversary."

"Oh, that's nice. Tell them I said congratulations." She told him cheerfully, handing him back his credit car and also the room keys. "I hope you enjoy your stay and if you need anything feel free to call or come to the front desk. We have free breakfast from seven to ten, a weight room and pool down the hall to left." She explained, recited.

"Thank you," Lucas sent her a quick small smile before readjusting his bags again.

"That was weird." Brooke said as she pressed the button for the elevator. "I didn't know hotel employees could judge so much. I thought they would ignore everything and just go about their business."

"People just like to make assumptions so they feel like they've witnessed something they can talk about. It's sad, really." Lucas commented.

"Yeah, nice save, though." She stepped into the now open elevator.

"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked as he followed her inside.

"Your sister? I'm sorry but maybe if I was your step-sister or adopted sister, then maybe it would be buyable. We don't look related at all." She explained as she pressed the number for their floor.

He let out an amused scoff. "Why does it matter? For all she knows, maybe you are my step-sister. You know what? We don't need to get into this because she probably will never see us again."

"Unless the story of bringing down a sex-trafficing and child slavery madman is on news stations all over the country?" Brooke told him, her tone more serious.

"I didn't think about that." Lucas mumbled before the quick ride up ended.

* * *

><p>Mr. Taggaro shook his head in disbelief. With an angry growl, his fist landed on his kitchen table. The pain that sent a striking message from his nerves to his brain were ignored by the man's ignorant fury.<p>

Standing on the opposite side of the kitchen was Mrs. Taggaro. Her head was hung and she remained silent as she hid her reoccurring tears from her husband. Her brother, Joseph was now dead and it was all thanks to Mr. Parker and Mr. Duncan. She couldn't believe that she had lost another member of her family due to all of this. The first one she lost was still alive physically, but emotionally she was gone. It broke the woman's heart and she couldn't show it because she was afraid of what her husband would do to her or her son, Felix.

"Get your files on Garrett Duncan and Joshua Parker, now!" He ordered his wife as he began pacing the kitchen. His hands shook and he didn't know how to contain them as they balled up into fists.

With a silent nod, she rushed out of the kitchen, relieved that she wasn't in the same personal space as her husband. She had stayed strong for so long, acting like she was able to be a confident criminal. Now, that their code has been cracked she didn't know if she was really as powerful as her front had put on.

"What are you doing in here? You know you're not supposed to be, Felix." She told him angrily and frantically as she closed the door behind her and walked over to her piles of papers, all containing information on the numbered girls and the clients they have been in business with.

Felix let out a sigh as he stood up from the chair at his mother's small desk. It was covered in papers and news clippings just incase there was ever a trace to their crimes. So far all that had been collected was other stories of busted houses, which his father read to make sure he wasn't going to make any of those same mistakes. There were also the clippings of girls missing. Well, there weren't really missing because they knew where they really were.

"How much longer are we going to let this go on, Ma? There are girls down there who haven't seen their families for months. Anna's down there for fuck's sake and nobody seems to care about that!" He found himself raising his voice at her when he defended his sister.

"Hush, Felix!" Mrs. Taggaro told him as she moved papers from the middle of her desk to the outer edges, causing some to fall uselessly to the floor.

His hand slammed on top of the papers she was looking for. "No, you stop! Ever since I found Joseph's body all you and Dad have been doing is trying to find away to make this all go away and blame these two men. It's not going to go away because even the most planned out schemes can blow up in your face."

She paused, breathing heavily. "Those two men are responsible for killing your Uncle Joseph! Doesn't he deserve any justice?"

"And we're responsible for all those girls down there and outside! They deserve a hell of a lot more than we're giving them!" His finger firmly pointing behind him. "And how can Uncle Joseph deserve justice for being a criminal, Ma? I'm not going to give him fake praise. His ass ain't going to heaven!"

The enraged mother couldn't control herself as her open hand collided with her son's face. After the sound of the slap, she stood there with the same angered face as her husband. Her finger was now pointed closely to her son's face. "He is family and you don't ever disrespect your family." She told him sternly.

"Then what do you call Anna?" His voice growled, not even wincing from his recent hit.

Her eyes narrowed while she backed away from him and returned to finding the papers on her desk. This time it was more like she was pretending to look for them to get Felix to drop the subject and leave.

He was about to walk out of the door and not take another look at his mother but something was telling him that she needed to know how serious he was. His feet stopped and his palm pressed to the wall right beside the door. "You know," his voice sounded to get her attention. He continued, hoping that his mother was looking at his back, "there's not much holding me back anymore from telling somebody about this."

There was no response from his mother and he didn't care to wait for one as he walked out on her. He made his way into the kitchen where his father was now sitting at the table.

"Do you know what's keeping your mother?" Mr. Taggaro asked him, grumbling.

"No, Pa. I haven't seen her all morning." He lied. His father remained still as Felix opened up the ripped screen door and headed outside.

He walked over to a piled of chopped wood and sat down. His hands teared through his hair as the stress ate him alive. It was never supposed to be this way. Often, Felix wondered at what moment his father woke up and decided that this was the life he wanted to live. He just woke up and thought that kidnapping and selling human beings was the best way to make a living. How did this happen? How did that hunger happen? All he wanted to do was scream to relieve himself and bring to anyone's attention that something was wrong.

After this morning he could and he didn't even have to scream. He wasn't supposed to be in that room but there was something there that he thought he needed to bring some sort of stop or awakening to this tragedy. He looked around to make sure that nodoby could see him or what he was about to do. His hand went under his shirt to pull out a few folded pieces of paper. Felix set them on his lap and smoothed them out after he unfolded them. The top of the sheet read: _Client 34 (Joshua Parker). _Under his name, there was cell phone number listed, a phone number that could save so many lives, jail his criminal family, and let his neighbors become aware of who the Taggaros' really were.

* * *

><p>Back in the hotel room, Lucas decided that he would call Nathan back. Maybe if he chose to take the call in the hallway, Brooke would finally just get some time to herself. She wouldn't have to be around Lucas every second f the day. It would be her fist chance of freedom.<p>

"Are you just doing this so I shower?" Brooke asked him as she unpacked all the things that they have bought.

"Partially," Lucas let out a quick sigh that turned into a chuckle. "I'm sorry. I just thought you might want to get cleaned up and have a moment of privacy."

Brooke shrugged. "It kind of scares me."

Lucas raised his brow at her. "I don't understand."

She stopped unpacking the bags and sat on the bed. Her fingers intertwined and her legs swung, hitting the wooden frame with her heels. Her face was now hidden from Lucas as she watched her legs like she was trying to hypnotize herself.

That was the moment Lucas realized it. How could he not have come to the conclusion when he was noticing the signs? She never wanted to be by herself and whenever he mentioned that Brooke was allowed to bathe and he'd give her the room to herself, she would immediately decline. With a deep inhale he found the courage to ask her, "Did something happen when you took a shower there?"

He watched as she slowly lifted her head up. Her lips folded inwards to hide the fact that they existed for her to speak with. Tears brimmed her lower eyelids. Her neck moved up and down, letting him know that there was a dark secret involving a shower. "Not exactly."

"Can you tell me about it?" Lucas ignored the lurching feeling that was forming in his stomach. He fought with the, already forming, images in his head about what possibly could have happened to her. The simple task of showering was now scarred because of some sick and twisted ring of bastards, at least that's how Lucas saw it.

Her fingers slid out of their protective grasp of each others. They were now curled and each went to touch her thumbs as they nervously moved.

"Brooke," His voice was softer than he intended it to be. He couldn't help it. He wanted to sit down next to her and rub her arm to give her support and comfort as he pulled her to his shoulder so she could cry. Instead, he was keeping his distance and standing tall.

"It's okay. Just give me a second?" She closed her eyes to hold back her tears. Lucas didn't mind if she let them fall because nobody was ever going to hurt her again. He'd make sure of it.

"I remember being grabbed from the basement and brought outside. I was really scared because the only time we were ever outside was for when we were being transported to make our clientele visits. The next thing I know is that I'm being pushed to the ground and handcuffed to this pipe connected to the house. I was stripped completely naked and then sprayed with this hose. It felt like sharp needles were piercing every inch of skin. If I screamed, the feet would walk closer and tell me to shut up, though I couldn't really hear over the water or my struggling.

Then his hand began to wander over my body and I already knew that there wasn't soap on his hand because it would linger or grasp at certain spots. Even when I shower, I don't travel my hand up my thigh and then over to-"

She stopped. As Brooke was telling the story, she was losing her ability to speak. It happened the last time she was telling Lucas about the time she first arrived with her friend.

He wasn't the one who needed every detail. High ranked investigators, lawyers, and court officials would go further in on her stories. People who she wasn't going to be able to grow trust with were the ones who hunted for every detail.

He swallowed. "Who is he? Is he the main guy? Brooke, if he has a name, tell me. It will help out with the investigation." It would also finally give Lucas a name to the face that he prayed would be on a wanted sign or a mugshot. His face haunted all of those girls and he wanted people to memorize it and make sure that he was brought to jail.

"He-he never really used his name. At least, not in front of any of us. Even if he did, I wouldn't know if it was really his name or not."

_Fuck. _Of course, not. Why would he tell his name to anyone? It would be way too easy from someone to rat on him.

He sat next to her and this time she didn't scoot away from him. She wiped at her eyes and shook her head. "I'm crazy, aren't I?" She sniffled.

"No, the people who did this to you are." He told her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"You're going to stop them. Please, tell me that they'll be stopped." Another group of tears cascaded down her cheeks as she rolled her face into Lucas' chest.

"I'm going to stop them." He told her carefully as his arm wrapped around her tighter and his fingers lazily rubbed her shoulder. His chin rested on the top of her head.

* * *

><p><em>"Please, don't. Please, don't do this." Her voice echoed as it begged for the pain to stop. <em>

_"Oh, Brooke Davis," a hand stroked down the brunette's cheek, skimming her flesh and rubbing it's fingers over the fresh tear that they caught. Her hazel eyes found the black hole pupils of the man across from her. There was no compassion. If anything, they held filth and unchallenged power. _

_The face nodded and it wasn't long before another pair of hands came from behind her, tying the fabric in her mouth as her wrists were grabbed. She was tied to the bedpost with tears rolling down her pretty face. _

_She couldn't speak. Her eyes went wide as she felt the greedy hands unzip her jeans and pull them down. Then they snuck their meaty fingers into her waistband and-_

_A scream rang out throughout the room. _

A loud ringing noise made Lucas flinch in his sleep. His heart wasn't only racing from the unexpected sound but also from the horrific real-life nightmare that he had just had. He couldn't think about what he had just witnessed in his sleep because he wanted to see what was so important that someone was calling him. It couldn't be Nathan, could it? Or even Mr. Davis.

He looked over to see if Brooke was woken up from it, too. She didn't even stir.

An unknown number flashed on the screen. Whoever it was, he hadn't answered it in time. He picked up his phone just to look at the number to look at closer later and when he held it in his hand, an alert for a new text message appeared on the screen. Since he was already awake and he guessed that it could be from the same person, he decided to read the message.

_Joshua, I can help you. Call back. -Felix T. _

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> I apologize for taking so longer to return to update this story. I've been vacationing, getting ready for my next school semester, and planning new stories. Hopefully this chapter was worth the all that waiting. Your reviews are always keeping me motivated! Until the next update!

The scenes that Brooke describes throughout this story will be explained more in the next installment (_Monster), _which includes actual flashbacks, because that story is more about Brooke and what she had witnessed. -kaill


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **This story is rated M because it discusses the dark theme of human trafficking. If this topic disturbs you, then please do not read this story. I fully understand that people will not be comfortable reading about this. It will not be described in full but, it is a reoccurring event in this fanfic. I do not intend to offend anyone under any circumstances. -kaill

**AN: **Thank you to paigematthewsfan21, Guest, alysef, xXalienatedXx, BpDs89, CaseyJr, dianehermans, curlylizard97, music is my heroine, xTheUnforbiddenxs2, craxygirl54, dreamkent, brianna, and GoodGirlGoneBad84 for your reviews on the last chapter and to all the rest who read, or add this story to their alerts or favorites list. -kaill

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><p>It wasn't the message itself that made an exhausted Lucas all of the sudden become fully alert. There was one word in particular that stood out to him: Joshua. <em>Joshua <em>was now more than just a coverup name that Lucas came up with in just a matter of seconds. This indicated that whoever found his false number, and whatever else was tied to this name, possibly knew what was going on with bringing down the circuit and having Brooke Davis alive and in his custody.

_Fuck._

The next big mystery Lucas had to figure out was who was this Felix T. and what did he want to help him out with? All Lucas knew was that this man either knew about the circuit or he was actually apart of it himself. If that was the case, why would he want to help Lucas bring an end to this? Maybe this Felix guy didn't truly want to help him at all. It could just be a criminal's way of luring him into some sort of trap. There was going to be no contact with Felix until Lucas found out more about him. The only way he was going to get his sources was if he asked Brooke about him.

Luckily, the phone ringing didn't even cause the brunette a single movement. Her back was turned to him and he just hoped that she wasn't actually lying there wide awake. There was the easiest possibility that Brooke never truly slept with all the nightmares colliding in her head. With this upbringing of Felix, Lucas might be letting another one of them free.

He began to wonder more about this Felix character. Did he know who Brooke was? Was he the one who touched her inappropriately? The questions scouring in his mind were starting to get his blood boiling. He didn't want to match a fact to the men in Brooke's stories because if he ever had to come face-to-face him, he would have no trouble letting blind fury take control over his body.

With a sigh, he looked back over to Brooke. If she did know anything about this guy, would she be open to talk about him? As much as he needed to find out how Felix knew about him and got his contact information, he didn't want to make Brooke feel like she was in any danger. Hell, because of his stunt they were both pretty much in danger if the wrong people found them.

His body stiffened when he heard the rustling of her blanket and sheets. Her sleeping body turned in her cocoon of thin hotel fabric. He peered over to her with his eyes, seeing that she was in fact asleep. He wondered how she able to manage to swipe away all of her fear and worry to get a good night's sleep. She was afraid of being in the dark but she's been in it for so long, maybe there was a comfort in the loneliness of it all. He didn't know if that was exactly true. Lucas just liked to think that she was able to find something that kept her safe and alive. She found something that let her know that one day the darkness would disappear.

Maybe he should try like she was. He sank back down into his bed, wiping his hand over his heavy eyes. When his hand dropped back down to his side, Lucas stared at the ceiling, focusing on how it looked like particles were moving spastically all around him. There was always movement in the dark. It could keep anyone alert at all times.

Eventually, Lucas' body lost the battle against exhaustion and shut down. He knew that the past days were having n affect on his body and his mind. If he needed to take action to defend Brooke at any time he needed to be strong enough to. He now learned, from the men at the diner, that just about anyone could know Brooke the way she didn't want to be remembered.

In just a few short hours, Lucas came too again. The time between drifting off to sleep and reawakening only felt like a few minutes. He wondered what he could have missed in that time. As his foggy eyes focused back to the room, he heard the sound of running water, the natural sound that now scarred Brooke. With a quite groan he sat up in bed, stretching out his arms and back, feeling the pull and relaxed the best that he could. His hand ran down his face to reassure him that he was awake, that he was here. Once his hand dropped back to his side, Brooke appeared from the small bathroom.

Her long brunette hair was wavy from being wet, it still looked like it held some tangles from lacking in its usual proper care. Her back was turned to Lucas as she grabbed a towel from the shelf to scrunch-dry her hair, fluffing the towel amongst her wild locks. She walked over to the large mirror, where Lucas couldn't tell if she could see him looking at, more like studying, her. He hadn't meant to seem like he was.

Without any makeup on, Brooke still looked angelic, innocent. Her grown-hazel eyes still were one of the features that natural shown off from her face. The dips of her dimples in her cheeks were the next thing, a soft smile appearing on the young girl's face.

He wondered what she was smiling about. Was she happy here? Of course, she was happy to be out of there but, Lucas knew that her heart was still set on saving the others. It wouldn't be fair if she was the only one out of all the rest to receive justice. Each and every one of those girls deserved to be free just as they were before.

"So, you're finally awake." Brooke mentioned as she walked back over to her bed, the towel being left on the counter. Her clothes from the day before being worn again.

"Yeah," Lucas answered, his voice still thick and heavy from sleep. "How long have you been up?" he asked her as he reached over to his nightstand to check his phone again for the time, as well as any other calls or texts from Felix.

Brooke shrugged. "Not long. I decided to just get ready and you'd be at least waking up by the time I finished." Brooke scooted off her bed and stood up. "So are we you ready to leave? Where are we going this time?" Her voice held the first bit annoyance that he caught since first meeting her in her father's office.

"Actually, surprise, surprise, we won't be going anywhere today." He let out a sigh, not wanting to mention his caller to her but he had to make sure that this person was legit and if he would be any help to them. He wanted to make sure that Brooke could trust this person.

"Oh? We're just gonna be cooped up in here all day? Luckily, I'm used to the nit-tight captivity." She walked back over to the bed and looked at Lucas, noticing that he was thrilled with what she had said. "I was just trying to make a joke." Her feet swung, kicking and bouncing off the side of the bed.

Lucas let out a breath. "It might not just be you and me today."

"What do you mean?" Brooke furrowed her brow in confusion.

"There's something I need to ask you. Of course, It has to do with the house." Lucas struggled to find the right words to say without freaking Brooke out too much. "When you were at the house," he paused, shaking his head because that wasn't the way he wanted to ask. "Did you know anyone by the name of Felix?" He swallowed as he waited for Brooke to answer.

"Felix? Y-yeah, I know who Felix is. He works in the house." Brooke replied, looking down at her feet, lifting them to fold them under her thighs as she sat on the bed like a child. Then she looked back up to Lucas. "How do you know about Felix?"

"Apparently he called my case phone last night and left me a text. He told me that he can help us. I obviously have no clue if that'd the truth or not. I wanted to ask you to make sure that contact him would be a good idea. Can you tell me something about Felix?"

She nodded. "Felix is one of the guys who takes care of us. Unlike the rest of them, Felix doesn't treat us like we're garbage. He treats us like we're human. He never wanted to hurt us, especially his sister, Anna. I could tell that they were close. Anyway, whenever his father or one of the older men were present, he had to treat us like he was titled to. I knew that he didn't want to. As much as he tried to hide it, his eyes always screamed out his apologies."

His father? His father was the circuit owner? Lucas' mind was spinning out with all kinds of questions. He didn't want to pile them onto Brooke. No, he wanted to pound Felix with all of his questions.

"A-are you going to call him?" She asked meekly.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders, rolling them backwards. "I still don't know if I should or not. There's a lot of possibilities about Felix right now. He could have been told to tell me that, thinking that I would call him and tell him where we are. It might not even be Felix, Brooke." He felt his own annoyance hit him. "I just don't know what I should do. You going back there is not an option that I'm willing to risk."

"Lucas," her body leaned forward slightly, her hands buried in her lap. "Felix wouldn't take me back there even if he was ordered to."

"How do you know that for sure? You just told me that if he was with one of the other guys that he would. Those people are smarter than we think. They wouldn't let him travel alone. Even more so now that they could easily know that I killed your escort." He explained to her, trying to keep his calm demeanor.

"It has to be Felix." She turned her head to the side, her teeth sinking into her lip, then whispering, "It has to be."

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><p>The waiting game was stressful, just like the night he and Nathan were waiting for Brooke to be brought to their hotel room. His legs were heavy, wanting to start pacing back and forth by the door. His mind was fully alive with firecrackers echoing inside his mind from the lack of sleep and high energy he felt at the same time.<p>

He eventually caved in and responded to Felix's test message, hating himself for having to give up their address of residency. He prepared himself for the worst case scenario, leaving both motel keys with Brooke and keeping his gun tucked underneath his coat.

His head shot up when he heard the slamming of a car door. Walking towards him was a young boy, around Brooke's age. He looked similar to his parents, jet balc hair and tanned skin. Lucas swallowed, his fingers itching and twitching in anxiety.

"You're going about this all wrong, I bet." Felix told him as he walked up to meet Lucas outside of his door. Lucas told Brooke to stay inside so he could have a feel for who Felix was and if he could trust him.

Lucas raised his brow. What would Felix know about rescuing anyone from danger when only knew how to put them into danger. He crossed his strong arms over his chest protectively, for himself and for Brooke. _Oh, what a first impression you're making to me right now. _

"Tell me, was the first place you brought Brooke was to a doctor to get her checked for any STDs or pregnancy? If she was raped by any of her clients, you would need to get her looked at. It's not just for her protection but you could find some helpful evidence in courts, too." Felix explained to him in short terms.

_Shit._

Felix didn't even give Lucas anytime to answer. "You're face says it all. You didn't do anything to help her or her case." Felix said with a twisted scoff. "Nice fuck up, Hero."

Lucas' jaw clenched in annoyance. He didn't have time for Felix and his witty remarks that made him seem like he actually gave a fuck about Brooke. "For starters, she doesn't have a case. Not yet, anyway. I still have to file the report with my boss, which I plan on doing once I get back home."

"Which is when, by the way?" Felix asked in a semi-cocky tone. "The more time that you freeload on hotel stays and car travels, the less evidence and overall help for Brooke you'll lose. From what I can see, you're screwing her over out of a rescue and justice." With each word, Felix got closer and closer to Lucas' face.

"You're just a fucking kid." Lucas growled. "How could you possibly know more about what my job entitles than I do?" His rage built, wanting Felix to step off and step down from a challenge that Lucas wasn't interested in handing to him.

"Hey, I'm just here to help Brooke get her freedom back. Isn't that you're job?" Felix questioned him, not moving from his spot. "Sorry, I didn't start off with a 'Hello, I'm Felix Taggaro'. I have much more important business to to other than small talk." Felix shoved his hand towards Lucas.

"I don't shake hands with people I am unsure about," Lucas said coldly, pushing his hand away.

"You weren't unsure about my father, Joshua? Most people in the neighborhood are. Oh, that's right, you were pretending to be one of his sick and delusional clients." He said, walking a circle around Lucas. "So, is Brooke inside there?" He asked, pointing to the door.

"That's none of your business." Lucas growled.

Felix shook his head with a chuckle. "It is my business and, quite frankly, she is still part of my father's business."

"That sick fuck is not getting his hands on her so if you're trying to trick me somehow to let you see her, then you're just wasting your damn precious time."

Felix looked down to his fingers. "And you're wasting time with your magical getaway when I could be helping you like I said I would. If you aren't willing to cooperate then I can just go and you can continue doing whatever this is that you're doing. I'm sure the investigator's will love your part in all of this."

_For a kid, he sure is good at this. Then again, he was probably trained to be this intelligent._

Lucas sighed. "Are you done being a smart ass now?"

"That depends on if you're doing throwing a fit about me."

"Yeah, let's just get back to the important thing here and that's stopping your father and saving those girls. There's a reason I took Brooke but I'm not going to share that with you."

Felix looked back at Lucas, putting his hands in surrender. "Like you said, that's not the important thing. Let's take the man down. Now, can I see Brooke?" He paused when Lucas gave him a sigh. "I just want to see if she's okay. If you want, you can shot me with the gun in your pocket when she opens the door for me." He said, patting Lucas' shoulder. "Like I said, I'm not one for greetings but I like you, I like to know if I can be sure."

"We can let Brooke answer that. Knock on the door and see if she'll let you in. She seems to think we can trust you." Lucas wanted nothing but to roll his eyes.

"My pleasure," Felix let out a cocky laugh as he walked up to the door.

Lucas watched him and wondered if the knock and the phrase, 'It's Felix", was any trigger for Brooke because of how many times Felix had to come and check on the girls.

He was close behind Felix as he heard the clicking of the chain from the door lock. Brooke stood in the doorway shyly, paying more attention to Lucas than she could to Felix.

"Hey, Brooke. It's good to see you out of there." His voice was soft, something that Lucas didn't think Felix was capable of having.

Brooke nodded, folding her lips inward, not backing away from the door.

Lucas was careful as he walked by Felix, their arms brushing, both males tensing at their contact. Lucas took his place next to Brooke.

"You know what? You all looked pretty wiped. How about I go get us some coffees and none of this motel shit? I'll be back in like an hour and then we can try our conversation again?" Felix asked them, looking between Lucas and Brooke. "You have my word." Felix said as he walked backwards from the door, stepping out and closing it behind him.

Lucas made sure to lock the door, looking out the keyhole.

"Lucas," her voice broke out as she stood with her arms across her chest, aimlessly staring out the window to watch Felix leave, with her teeth lightly scraping over her bottom lip. "Are you ever going to take me home?" She let out a sigh, uncrossing her arms and picking at her fingernails. "I just feel like you're keeping me away from there for some reason." Her darkened hazel eyes looked up to him, her teeth biting down on her lip.

Turning, he licked his lips, not knowing if he could tell Brooke the truth about any of it. He was afraid if he told her that the progress he made was for nothing. A long sigh escaped his lips and his hand combed through his dirty blonde hair.

"You know, even with all the disturbing shit that's happened to me, I still find it in myself to share those dark secrets with you. You can't even tell me why I can't go home, where I'm supposed to be. I heard all those things that Felix said outside. Why haven't you done any of those things for me? All you've done is kept me hidden and bought me clothes. Right now, I see no difference from being kidnapped by them and traveling around aimlessly with you!" Brooke yelled, unable to wait for the next white lie any longer. "When you're ready to actually take me home, then maybe I will open up to you again. Until then, expect nothing."Brooke shook her head, showing disgust as she walked into the bathroom, locking herself inside. As her fire burnt out, she sat on the floor with her knees to her chest, crying and praying that her true rescuer would come for her.

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><p><strong>AN 2: <strong>There I go again, making promises. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The end of my school semester is coming to close so my brain has been held hostage for the past few months and life's been insane! As always, thank you to the readers who keep sticking with my stories even though updates have gone downhill time-wise. I hope you enjoyed this update and I appreciate you all taking the time to review!

I also have been spending some of my time writing for my stories that are not posted yet. I'm really excited to get those going because each of them gives me something new to write. The post dates for those are still uncertain. -kaill.


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